Republicans are gathering in Cleveland for the party's Convention….a crucial moment in the American election campaign.
Barring any unforeseen last-minute challenge, it is at the Convention that Donald Trump expects formally to be anointed as the Republicans' Presidential candidate.
Hillary Clinton's turn comes in a week's time, when Democrats gather in Philadelphia.
So what's ahead for the Republicans….or at least, those Republicans who are bothering to show up in Cleveland?
Our US Bureau Chief Simon Marks reports.
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This is going to be interesting.
Donald Trump's coming-out party in Cleveland is set to be unlike any kind of political convention we've ever witnessed.
The faster Republicans have set the stage in the Quicken Loans Arena….the slower Donald Trump's team has been to explain exactly what's going to happen over the next 4 days.
One thing is certain: we will be seeing a lot of Donald Trump.
In addition to the candidate's traditional acceptance speech and the balloon drop on Thursday night, he'll also be beaming himself in to the convention several times earlier in the week.
With so many Republicans wanting to stay so far away from Donald Trump and his bigoted political rhetoric, he's got little alternative but to pack the agenda with his own appearances and those of his family members.
Security around the convention will be predictably tight.
But in many ways, the biggest question surrounding the event is not whether these barricades will contain the protestors are are predicted to descend on Cleveland…..….but whether Donald Trump actually emerges from the Convention as the Republicans candidate.
Party strategist Rich Galen says that while some Republicans would still love to dump Trump, their dreams of an alternative are about to be dashed.
TAKE GALEN SOUNDBITE (Super: Rich Galen, Republican Strategist) (4:11)
"I thin there is almost no chance that Donald Trump will not be the candidate. Four or five months ago, geniuses like me were sitting around saying 'well how close does Trump have to get to the actual majority, which is 1237 delegates. If he misses by 30, if he's 30 delegates short, can he still win? If he's 50, can he still win? If he's 100 delegates short can he still win? Well, he's 300 delegates OVER that number, so the notion of him being stopped in some kind of floor activity just seems to me impossible".
Assuming he's right, what of the Republicans' prospects AFTER Cleveland?
The opinion polls are all over the map, but indicate the race with Hillary Clinton is still competitive.
And some analysts like former White House aide Peter Emerson say unpredictable events - a terror attack for example - could create a path for success IF - and it's a big IF - Donald Trump can control his presentation and rhetoric.
TAKE EMERSON SOUNDBITE (Super: Peter Emerson, Former White House Aide)
"The default position of the American voter is that Democrats are weak on defense. No matter what Democrats do, kill Osama bin Laden, increase the Defense Department, they're weak on defense. Donald Trump has just secured that perception. At the same time since Donald Trump is a builder, he's also likely stolen a lot of people who are going to vote based on jobs and employment and new opportunities".
That's the optimistic scenario for Donald Trump.
Sadly for him, on the Convention's eve…..even among top Republican strategists like Rich Galen…..there are a lot of pessimists out there.
TAKE GALEN SOUNDBITE (Super: Rich Galen, Republican Strategist) 8:02
"I think that it is quite likely that Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States, although I suspect that Abraham Lincoln will get a lot of votes as a deceased President from people who don't like either one of them".
That's quite a testament to where things stand 4 months before Election Day.
But in this unpredictable election cycle….keep your eyes on Cleveland where anything could happen.
SOC