The stage is set.  Drama and nail-biting anticipation fill the air. Can you feel it? The first presidential debate tonight between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, promises to be a doozy. It's expected to be the most-watched debate ever, with 80-100 million viewers tuning in. Not since the showdown between President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980 have so many Americans watched a presidential debate on TV. Many are wondering which Donald Trump will show up: the more subdued candidate we've seen the last couple of weeks, or the no-holds-barred, anything goes version of him who lit into his Republican contenders during the primaries. The same goes for Hillary Clinton: Will we see the lawyerly policy wonk we've grown accustomed to over the years, or a more relaxed, less rigid Hillary who attempts to make a connection with voters? Trump has said that if Hillary treats him with respect, he'll do the same in kin...

If you didn't watch last night's Republican presidential debate, you missed a doozy. Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz came out swinging like boxers on a mission, challenging Trump on everything from his reluctance to release his tax returns to lawsuits and his traditionally left-leaning views on abortion. At times it felt like a 2-on-1 affair. Unfortunately, Cruz and Rubio may have awoken from their slumber a tad too late. It's jarring that it took these men ten debates to finally stick it to Trump. The fact of the matter is that, like many political pundits, the candidates (with the exception of Jeb Bush, who recently exited the race) underestimated Trump. They figured he would fizzle out eventually, so they never took his candidacy seriously -- that is, until he started racking up victories in the primaries and caucuses. Now they're trying to do anything they can to slow his momentum, but polls have him with sizeable leads in many of the states up for grabs o...

Now that we're in the thick of the 2016 presidential race, I decided to dig up a few facts on presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton that you might not know. Admittedly, despite being your typical politics nerd, I didn't know any of these myself: According to the National Constitution Center, Hillary Clinton wasn’t interested in politics at a young age. Instead, she aspired to "become a baseball player, a journalist, and an astronaut.”  Clinton was once a Republican, even campaigning for Barry Goldwater in 1964. She switched parties in 1968 and wound up working for Democratic nominee George McGovern in 1972 and Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 1974, Clinton became a member of the presidential impeachment inquiry staff during the Watergate scandal. President Richard Nixon resigned later that year. Clinton is the first presidential spouse to earn a postgraduate degree and the first to be elected to national office. Hillary was the first presidential spo...

On this day in 1904, President Woodrow Wilson departed Washington, D.C, on the first European trip ever taken by a U.S. president. After several days at sea aboard the S.S. George Washington, Wilson arrived at Brest, France. He then traveled by land to Versailles, where he led the American delegation to the peace conference seeking an official end to World War I. Despite Republican opposite to the trip, Wilson worked indefatigably to hash out an agreement that would lead to a lasting peace in Europe. During the stay, Wilson also pushed for the establishment of the League of Nations, an international organization designed to promote world peace by avoiding wars and settling international disputes. At Versailles, Wilson’s hopes for a “just and stable peace” were opposed by the other victorious Allies, and the final treaty, which called for stringent war reparations from the former Central Powers, was met with intense disapproval in Germany. Regardless, President Woodrow Wilson was aw...

Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy encompasses a wide range of outstanding achievements – from overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal to helping root out public corruption to dissolving monopolies as a so-called “trust buster.” However, there’s a lot more to this majestic figure than what's detailed in the history books. Below are several fascinating facts about the 26th U.S. President that run the gamut from special awards he received to his personal pet peeves.  Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a man of varied interests and notable accomplishments. His name alone conjures up images of a stout, bespectacled man with a brown mustache and larger-than-life personality. Indeed, this revered figure who famously exhorted Americans to “speak softly and carry a big stick” is remembered as an ebullient politician who pledged to crack down on trusts and corruption, an outdoorsy explorer deeply committed to the conservation of natural resources, and an intrepid Colonel who commanded the 1st ...