In an e-mail Tuesday, the South Carolina senator urged supporters to sign a petition protesting the terms of an Aug. 6 debate, the first scheduled faceoff among the Republican presidential contenders. Fox News, the debate sponsor, has said it will allow 10 candidates, based on their standing in the polls.

Graham, at distinct risk of being left out, suggesting Brad Pitt, the A-list star of movies like Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, “would have a better shot of being on the debate stage than real candidates for president” because the current “criterion favors celebrities and candidates who have run previously with high name recognition.”

Another celebrity-turned-presidential candidate, real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, has polling numbers that give him a virtual lock on an onstage seat.