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Fox News has announced the top ten candidates--- according to polling results, that will be featured in tonight's first debate of this presidential election cycle.
President Obama has sent out an email asking Democrats to be sure to watch the debate.
Why?
Well, part of the reason is, "The other side is counting on folks like you sitting this one out, so I need you to say that you'll be watching on Thursday."
"But here's the thing..." the president continues.
And what about the Republicans...will they be watching?
Fox News has announced the top candidates that will be participating in tonight's debate. They are: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich.
President Obama says the candidates have bad ideas and will all promise to reverse the "progress he has made." However, he says, "they're still smart politicians."
The president says he cannot "overstate the importance" of Democrats watching this debate.
Are Republicans as interested in the debate as the President seems to be?
A Rasmussen poll out yesterday suggests they are.
According to the poll, 90% of likely Republican voters plan to watch at least part of the debate, with 64% saying it is very likely they will watch it.
Only 9% of Republicans says they are "not very" or "very" likely not going to watch it.
Among all voters, 79% say they are likely to watch at least some of it, with 48% saying they are very likely to watch it.
If they do, tonight will be a record night of viewers for Fox News.
Interestingly, 79% of all voters also say pre-primary debates are important to their primary vote, and 36% say they are very important.
A Gallup Poll, also out yesterday, listed the 11 top questions people would like to ask the candidates:
First question: How do you propose to fix the U.S. economy?
Second question: How do you propose to deal with the people's record-low confidence in Congress and the elected representatives they send to Washington?
Third question: What do you propose to do about race relations in this country?
Fourth question: What do you propose to do about immigration and individuals living in this country illegally?
Fifth question: What do you propose to do about jobs?
Sixth question: How do you propose to deal with declining moral, family and ethical values in this country?
Seventh question: How do you propose to deal with the federal budget deficit?
Eighth question: What do you propose to do about poverty?
Ninth question: How do you propose to deal with crime and violence?
Tenth question: How do you propose to improve the education our children receive?
Eleventh question: How do you propose to make healthcare more accessible and affordable?
My own daily research also reveals that America is very, very troubled about the Planned Parenthood issue of selling baby body parts. They are stunned that this could happen in America.
In my view, this issue is not going to go away. Yesterday, New Hampshire announced it is defunding Planned Parenthood's facilities in the state.
In the next few days, marches are planned in several cities demanding Congress actually do something more than "denouncing" and figure out how to defund Planned Parenthood nationally.
The John Boehners' and Mitch McConnells' need to listen to the people, stop talking and start taking action, because this barbaric Planned Parenthood fiasco is not going to go away.
Whether or not it comes up in the debate tonight, it will play a part in how people vote in coming elections.
This and other issues of morality are clearly included in question 6 above. There is a growing sense that the moral fabric in America is being ripped apart---and the folks are beginning to connect the dots as to why and how this is happening.
There are several occasions in Scripture where God used painful situations to bring about a spiritual awakening.
God used problems, people and pain to awaken Joseph's brothers and lead them to restoration. God used a prophet who was willing to confront a King to awaken David to his sin. For Sampson, He used a Philistine prison, the loss of his eyes and the loss of his strength. For Peter, God used a little girl at a Roman fire.
These are defining times.
Be Prayerful. Be Informed. Be vigilant. Be Discerning.