NEW YORK (TIP): With Rick Perry, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz  and Scott Walker  ready to throw their hats in the 2016 Presidential ring, the party’s top leaders are growing increasingly fearful  about the  manner and method of the upcoming debates. On Wednesday, May 20, Fox News said that it planned to limit the number of debaters based on how candidates are performing in polls. Such a threshold has drawn pushback from lesser-known candidates who say they lack the national name recognition to dominate early polling.

New York Times had an  interesting  report on the issue which said : “Is there a more novel and fair way to select the candidates? As a service to the debate organizers, First Draft contemplated alternative criteria.

Spanish Speaking: Speaking Spanish seems to correlate with success in this Republican field: Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio, two early favorites who sit atop many polls, would automatically be included under this criteria. Senator Ted Cruz has some facility with the language, but is not known to be fluent. In 2012, when running for Senate, he declined an offer to debate his opponent in Spanish.

Ivy Leaguer: A proud Princeton graduate, Mr. Cruz would be a shoo-in under this rule. Gov. Bobby Jindal would also get a ticket to the debate, thanks to his degree from Brown University. Ben Carson, who attended Yale, would also be included despite his soft polling numbers. Former Gov. Jeb Bush’s brother George W. Bush went to Yale, too, but Jeb himself would not make the cut: He went to the University of Texas at Austin.

Embroiled in Scandal: The lane closings in New Jersey at the George Washington Bridge would give Gov. Chris Christie a ticket to the big stage if scrutiny by prosecutors was the price of admission.

But he would not be alone. Former Gov. Rick Perry remains under the cloud of a criminal felony indictment for abuse of power in Texas. And Gov. Scott Walker faces continuing allegations over a “John Doe” scandal in Wisconsin in which he is accused of mixing official business with political business.

Musical Proficiency: Debates don’t have to be all about yelling. Some of the candidates can carry a tune.

According to Carly Fiorina’s campaign, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive is a talented pianist. In this situation, she would face off with former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was not only a Baptist pastor but also skilled with the bass guitar. While capitalism and religion do not always mix, Ms. Fiorina and Mr. Huckabee could make for an entertaining evening as a duo, if they bring their instruments.

Surely, Hillary Clinton is amused. So are democrats.