Where to Watch the Republican Presidential Debate in the Bay Area

Today so far, we at KQED have received four different phone calls from readers and listeners wanting to know what time the Republican debate starts this evening. For a town filled with Democrats, that’s a lot of interest!

Fox News will host the debate this evening in Cleveland. It starts at 9 p.m. Eastern Time — that’s 6 p.m. Pacific Time. A preliminary contest began at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.

Indicative of soaring interest in our blue metropolis, a GOP debate screening at The New Parkway Theater in Oakland is already sold out.

But it appears you can still buy a ticket for the “Republican Debate and Circus Watch Party,” hosted by the San Francisco Democratic Party. (Ticket prices are tiered; levels of giving include “Clown Car Engineer,” “Elephant Trainer” or “Ringmaster.”)

In case you were hoping to watch the debate with actual Republicans, you might be disappointed. The SFGOP watch party at the Presidio Private Golf Club is already sold out.

However, SFist reports Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco will air the debate.

If none of this is in the cards, there’s always rounding up a group of friends on the living room couch.

If that’s your speed, Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi has you covered with his “Official GOP Debate Drinking Game Rules.”

Here’s a sample:

Drink THE FIRST TIME:
1. Donald Trump mentions his wealth, or how smart he is.
2. A candidate mentions Benghazi.
3. A candidate says, “This president …”
4. A candidate whines about not getting called on enough.
5. Someone promises to “take America back.”

KQED’s Forum will have analysis of the debate Friday, Aug. 7 at 9 a.m.