What Do Carly Fiorina & Ben Carson Have In Common?

GOP presidential hopefuls Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson have made major gains in popularity as of late. In a recent Fox News poll released on Wednesday, Carson is holding strong in second place with 18 percent while Fiorina has 9 percent and is tied for third with Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Donald Trump might still be the Republican front-runner but the former HP CEO and neurosurgeon appear to be gaining on him as his numbers slip. All three candidates have a lot in common, as none of them have past political experience. However, it's specifically what Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson have in common that is the most surprising.

The two candidates are shockingly similar in their policies with only slight variances. According to a direct comparison of Fiorina and Carson via Inside Gov, the two are very much aligned on key issues including immigration and healthcare. Regarding social issues, both are against same-sex marriage and both are pro-life, though Carson appears to have a far stronger opinion about abortion. He has likened it to human sacrifice and even penned an entire op-ed against abortion in The Washington Times in 2014. Whereas Carson finds abortion unacceptable no matter the circumstances, Fiorina feels that terminating a pregnancy is justifiable in cases of incest, rape, or with life-threatening pregnancies.

The two are steadfastly against Obamacare and both have vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Fiorina believes that Obamacare has been nothing but a costly mistake, calling it "crony capitalism" and alleging that the ACA is crushing smaller companies and only allowing larger corporations to thrive. Carson believes that the law is just as bad as slavery and, though in favor of eliminating Obamacare altogether, the former neurosurgeon feels that replacement legislation must be put in place instead. Fiorina would rather the issue be handled by private companies instead of the government.

Regarding one of the most important widely talked about issues during this election — immigration — both are against overarching pathways to citizenship in the case of illegal immigrants. Fiorina says she would only support such measures for college graduates or veterans. Carson is more focused on issuing work visas to migrant workers than granting them full legal status. The two agree that the current system is ineffective and must be reformed, however.

The similarities between Fiorina and Carson as well as their strong showings in both GOP debates has prompted The Daily Caller to proclaim a Fiorina/Carson nomination as the ultimate Republican ticket. It's highly unlikely that the candidates will team up if they make it that far, however. In a recent interview on The Tonight Show, Fiorina admonished Carson for his remarks on Muslims being unfit to serve as president. Fiorina and Carson might have a whole lot in common on paper, but as candidates, they are ultimately entirely different people.