1. He's a newcomer: Carson has never run for a public office and could bring a fresh perspective to the White House should he transform his success as an author and speaker into a competitive campaign.
2. He's not politically correct: He often speaks out against the evil of political correctness in his speeches and interviews, and his position has been reflected in policy ideas and his six published books that don't always follow the straight conservative line.
3. He's for a flat tax: Carson has often spoken in favor of a flat tax to replace the nation's current tax structure, including citing the Bible in his arguments. He has not settled on a number, but says 10 percent is recommended in the Bible so he often recommends between 10-15 percent that is proportional across all income levels.
4. He is a fierce Obamacare foe: As a world class surgeon, Carson says health insurance companies should be turned into utilities with profit limits, and has even brought controversy by equating the Affordable Care Act with "slavery."
5. He's a free-market advocate: He points to the deregulation of Wall Street in the 1990s as the root cause of the financial crisis.
6. He's for individualism and independence: Even though his family relied on food stamps while he was young, he says President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society era started the steady fall of the country's individualism and independence.
7. He's got guts: Carson's launch can be traced back to February 2013, when he delivered his fiery speech at the National Prayer Breakfast challenging President Barack Obama on health care, taxes, spending, and the country's direction — all with the president and first lady sitting just a few feet away.
8. He's got a real rags to riches story: With the support and prodding of his mother, he rose from poor grades, a single-parent home, and poverty to attend Yale University and medical school at the University of Michigan.
9. He's a bonafide genius: He became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, all while becoming the first surgeon to successfully separate twins conjoined at the back of the head.
10. He's used to the corporate world: Carson has served on corporate boards including Kellogg Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp., and his foundation, Carson Scholars Fund, is operating in all 50 states and has given out nearly $6 million in scholarships to students for academic and humanitarian achievement.
11. He backs social conservatism: Carson is a staunch social conservative who opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage, views he attributes to his personal faith as a practicing Christian.
12. He's a loyal husband and family man: Carson, who has three sons, is rarely without his wife, Candy, by his side. Though she has no official title, she's described by aides as a senior adviser on his team, a group that has hired a mix of businessmen and political veterans in recent months in preparation for a run.
