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Presidential candidates George Pataki, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal and Lindsey Graham gather onstage for a debate between the lowest-polling candidates held before the second official Republican presidential candidates at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Sept. 16, 2015. Reuters

The most entertaining and explosive night of the year for political nerds has arrived: GOP debate night -- and Twitter is all over it.

The Twitter world’s response to the debate could have an influence on the polls as everyone from journalists to politicians use social media as a public forum to express their views on the blunders, insults and insights unfolding onstage. The first Republican debate Aug. 6 in Cleveland was viewed by thousands of Americans and resulted in a hilarious and engaging response from the Twitter world. Thousands of Americans tweeted their reactions to the first GOP debate, having a large influence on who the real winners and losers of the prime-time event were.

Going into Wednesday night’s debate, businessman Donald Trump was in the lead with 27 percent, with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in second with 23 percent, according to a recent poll. Other Republican candidates selected for the prime-time forum included former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The 11 top-tier Republican candidates scheduled to take the stage Wednesday night during the second GOP debate were expected to tear into one another, and viewers will likely respond by hashing out their opinions and reactions to the political spectacle on Twitter. With so many candidates possessing larger-than-life personalities, the possibilities for hilarious memes and Tweets are endless.

As the Republican presidential debate unfolds Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, look here for a live, updating collection of tweets throughout the night.


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