Through my research on presidential candidates and their platforms, I realized something shocking: politics in Washington D.C. are very similar to the politics of the Upper East Side. Here are some of Washington's elite compared to fictional New York's. (Spoiler alert!)

Hillary Clinton as Dan Humphrey

The Clinton family is known for having quite a few secrets, as is Dan Humphrey a.k.a. Gossip Girl. Both Hillary and Dan are of somewhat modest upbringing, but were the top of their class. And, each of them married someone of political significance, whether that be queen bee Serena or former president, Bill.

Bernie Sanders as Vanessa Abrams

It's no secret that Vanessa Abrams is a little different than the rest of the Upper East Siders. She's passionate about her convictions and about equality, as is Bernie. Both Vanessa and Bernie come from a more modest background: they were both born and raised in Brooklyn.

Rocky De La Fuente as Dorota

I don't know about you, but I haven't heard very much in the headlines about Rocky. He flies slightly under the radar, as Dorota does, being part of the Upper East Side but having her home life as well. He seems slightly more moderate, like the voice of reason, much like Dorota was for Blair.

Martin O’Malley as Jenny Humphrey

Jenny and Martin are both slightly secondary characters, who have worked to make their ways to the top. Jenny through conniving mostly, and Martin through work and dedication.

Donald Trump as Chuck Bass

Both Donald and Chuck are super rich businessmen, who have a knack for saying just what they shouldn't. They're both seen as bigots, and somehow ended up with women that could do much better.

Jeb Bush as Jack Bass

Both Jeb and Jack have prominent family history, some strongly positive and some strongly negative. Both were very successful businessmen. Added similarity: they have the same initials. It was fate!

Chris Christie as Lily van der Woodsen

Lily and Chris share the harsh nature of their beliefs. Chris is commonly disliked because of his strictly Republican beliefs, and Lily is sometimes harsh in her treatment of Serena. But, they both stand up for themselves and their beliefs. And let's not forget the scandals surrounding both Lily and Chris.

Ben Carson as Eric van der Woodsen

Ben is a neurosurgeon in a field dominated by lawyers, military people, and politicians. Eric is an Upper East Sider who doesn't act spoiled and privileged. They're both kind of the odd man out.

Ted Cruz as Serena van der Woodsen

Both Ted and Serena come from very privileged backgrounds. Serena is seen on the Upper East Side as the girl who gets everything easily, and Ted supposedly won his election for Senate in 2012 against strong odds. And, bonus, they both had a secret half-brother they learned about in their teenage years.

Carly Fiorina as Blair Waldorf

Carly and Blair both had pretty privileged, cultured upbringings, with a lot of experience with other cultures. They are both successful businesswomen, with high levels of influence in their respective fields.

Mike Huckabee as Georgina Sparks

Okay, so this one is a little bit of a stretch, but Mike is very openly religious, and Georgina went through her Jesus-freak phase. Mike is generally perceived as less open-minded than other candidates, and Georgina commonly dislikes anyone less evil than herself.

Jim Gilmore as Bart Bass

Both Jim and Bart came from modest backgrounds, and built themselves and their successes from the ground up. Jim was a military man, which screams disciplined, while Bart was perpetually unhappy with Chuck for his lack of ambition and discipline.

Rick Santorum as Carter Baizen

Carter and Rick have made their names known in their respective environments, but aren't as publicly significant, (i.e. aren't in all of Gossip Girl's posts, and aren't in all the headlines). Still, both have pretty bad reputations.

Rand Paul as Nate Archibald

I've always thought of both Rand and Nate as kind of the pretty boy with an important family background. Both go on to become successful through intelligence and hard work. Also, Rand is pretty traditionally right-winged but more lax with his support of medicinal marijuana, a favorite of Nate's.

Marco Rubio as Rufus Humphrey

Marco and Rufus both come from a relatively modest upbringing, with no story significance (Marco doesn't come from a political family, and Rufus doesn't come from a wealthy Upper East Side family). Also, Marco married his high-school sweetheart, and Rufus married his long-time love, Lily.

John Kasich as Ivy Dickens

Minus all of Ivy's evil scheming, John Kasich is the candidate that has made a quiet advance in the polls, much like Ivy Dickens quietly schemed her way into the throes Upper East Side life.

Well, there you have it. D.C. and the Upper East Side may be over 200 miles apart geographically, but their frontrunners are surprisingly similar.