Your guide to the debate: What you need to know as GOP candidates go head to head

The lineup for the first GOP presidential debate will be, top from left, are: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson. Bottom, from left, are: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich. AP FILE

A two-hour debate from Cleveland will air at 9 p.m. Thursday on Fox.

The debate will feature the top 10 polling candidates. An hour-long forum set for 5 p.m., also to be aired on Fox, will feature the other seven GOP candidates running.

Here is a guide to the candidates, the issues and the debate:

From drama to dog poop, debates have a history of curveballs

Thursday’s GOP debate gets the campaign off to a quirky start. Read more.

Presidential debate junkies eagerly await Donald Trump

What will Donald Trump do at the first 2016 Republican debate — and how will the other candidates deal with him? Read more.

GOP debate: Who made the cut?

Rick Perry is out. John Kasich and Chris Christie are in. The former Texas governor misses the cutoff for qualifying for Thursday’s nationally televised presidential debate, Fox News announces. Only the top 10 in an average of national polls can participate. Read more.

Debate illustrates power of Fox News in GOP campaign

The buildup to this week’s first Republican presidential debate shows that the influence of Fox News Channel on the GOP selection process is stronger than ever. Read more.

Rick Perry gets shut out of debate

Rick Perry just missed the cut but will appear in a separate forum that will also be televised earlier Thursday, along with Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Jim Gilmore and George Pataki. Read more.

No Donald Trump in GOP presidential speed-dating event

Donald Trump solidly led the polls going into the decision by Fox News on who will appear in the debate of 2016 Republican presidential candidates on Thursday. Charlie Neibergall AP

The forum, televised by C-SPAN, gave the candidates a chance to try out their debate lines, and maybe rid themselves of some jitters, before debating on Fox News later this week. Read more.

Political prose: 2016 campaign books funny, self-absorbing

Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson attends a anti-abortion rally opposing federal funding for Planned Parenthood in front of the U.S. Capitol July 28, 2015 in Washington Olivier Douliery Getty Images

We read seven 2016 presidential wannabes' books so you don't have to. Read more.

What 2016 could look like: Hillary Clinton goes after Jeb Bush while he tries to lure Democratic voters

Five presidential candidates spoke to a mostly African-American audience in Broward County. Read more.

Top donors to political committees backing Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio hail from Miami

Familiar names donated big bucks to the outside political groups playing an increasingly prominent role in presidential campaigns. Read more.

PolitiFact

Truth-O-Meter records of Jeb Bush

Truth-O-Meter records of Marco Rubio

Naked Politics

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This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Your guide to the debate: What you need to know as GOP candidates go head to head."