AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) — It's showdown time deep in the heart of Texas.

Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois will face off in a Democratic presidential debate in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, February 21.

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LOS ANGELES (CNN) — Thursday night’s Democratic debate on CNN shattered the cable ratings record again last night, with more than 8.3 million viewers tuning in to see the party’s final two White House hopefuls battle it out.

Democratic presidential candidates New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama met on-stage at the Kodak Theater in front of a star-studded crowd just days before the critical Super Tuesday primaries, for their final official faceoff before voters in 22 states head to the polls February 5.

So far this cycle, CNN has broken the primary season record for debate viewership four times, and hosted the five most-watched presidential primary debates in cable news history. Thursday night’s debate was the second-most watched this cycle on any network, broadcast or cable.

The forum came just hours after Democratic presidential contender John Edwards ended his White House run.

After weeks of campaign trail fireworks between the remaining two presidential rivals, currently locked in a tight race for the Democratic nomination, the debate was an unexpectedly civil affair. The two candidates spent far more time highlighting their similarities than drawing attention to their differences.

The biggest applause line of the night was a question from moderators about whether Obama and Clinton might consider sharing a ticket.

“The audience response was the same as that of Democrats across the country: they’re happy with their choice this year, but they don’t want to have to make it,” said CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.

Both Wednesday night’s Republican debate, and Thursday’s Democratic forum at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, were co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and Politico.com.

With a race this close, observers are starting to plan with an eye towards post-Super Tuesday primary bouts. Thursday night, CNN announced plans for two more primary season debates, to be held February 27 and 28 in the crucial swing state of Ohio. Voters there head to the polls March 4.

The Kodak Theatre is also home of the Academy Awards ceremony.

We want your real-time reactions to what Obama and Clinton are saying. Do agree or disagree? Who's making the most persuasive arguments? Are they addressing the issues or just being combative? Who's dodging the questions? What would you ask the candidates? Sound off by adding your comment below.

The Republican candidates squared off Wednesday night.

LOS ANGELES (CNN) — The Republican candidates met Wednesday night just days before the make-or-break Super Tuesday primaries with a new national frontrunner – John McCain – and an old rivalry, between the Arizona senator and Mitt Romney, meeting again after a pair of hard-fought campaigns in South Carolina and Florida.

In both contests, McCain scored wins, with former Massachusetts Gov. Romney as runner-up.

Wednesday night's debate, which aired on CNN, was the fourth most-watched primary-season faceoff in cable news history, according to early Nielsen data.

So far this cycle, CNN has broken that record three times, and hosted the four most-watched presidential primary debates in cable news history.

More than 4 million viewers tuned in to see the remaining GOP presidential candidates battle it out on-stage at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Many of those viewers also saw former presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani officially end his run and endorse rival John McCain shortly before the debate began – immediately followed by an exclusive interview with CNN’s John Roberts.

The Republican presidential rivals crossed swords on stage when Romney accused McCain of deliberately distorting his position on Iraq, and falsely claimed that he endorsed specific timetables for Iraq withdrawal.

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And now it's time for the Democrats: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are set to square off at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre Thursday night — the last debate before super Tuesday. (Photo Credit: CNN)