WASHINGTON — Before we compare and contrast Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina (obviously, because they are the only two women running to be president), let’s discuss the Keystone XL pipeline.

On the same day Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic, got to meet Pope Francis, Clinton, a Methodist, decided to reverse her position that she had no position on the pipeline and announce her opposition, saying the pipeline is a distraction.

A distraction?

Hillary. Hillary. Hillary. We want to love you, but you make it so difficult.

There are many solid reasons to support the pipeline and many solid reasons to oppose it. President Obama has not yet announced whether he’ll reject or approve it; it’s under State Department review because it’s international in scope. But Hillary Clinton’s logic that we can’t build a pipeline because we have aging, decrepit pipelines that need fixing is just goofy.

TransCanada, the Canadian firm that wants the northern segment of the pipeline built, is not going to rebuild U.S. infrastructure instead.

Also, the oil shales in western Canada will be developed; the problem is to find the most environmentally sound solution.

While the nation waits with bated breath for Biden to decide whether he will run against Hillary for the Democratic nomination, let’s get back to Clinton and Fiorina.

Fiorina’s popularity is soaring among Republicans, while Clinton’s popularity is plummeting among Democrats.

Fiorina, 61, has never held public office, although she ran for the Senate from California and lost. Clinton, 67, served as a senator from New York for eight years.

Fiorina was fired as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, after cutting 30,000 jobs, and never headed another corporation. Clinton was secretary of state, ran for president in 2008 and at one time was possibly the best-known woman in the world.

Fiorina wrote a short, rather boring book about the problems the country faces. Clinton wrote a long, boring book about being secretary of state, explaining mainly that she traveled almost a million miles.

Fiorina never misses a chance to skewer Hillary, to the delight of fellow Republicans, although she insists it’s not personal. “If you want to stump a Democrat, ask them about Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments as secretary of state,” Fiorina said in the last GOP debate. Clinton basically ignores Fiorina.

Fiorina came from the back of the pack to the top tier of GOP candidates because she is a good debater. Clinton has not yet faced a debate in 2015.

Fiorina’s personal story is compelling and new to us — she battled breast cancer and lost her stepdaughter to drug addiction. Hillary’s story is compelling, but we know it well, having lived it with her for 24 years.

Fiorina delighted us when she got the last laugh after Donald Trump tried to joke about her perfectly acceptable appearance. Clinton jokes about Trump with Jimmy Fallon, but attended one of Trump’s weddings.

The women met when Fiorina was commencement speaker at Chelsea Clinton’s graduation from Stanford and later discussed issues. Clinton asked for Fiorina’s support in her 2008 bid; Fiorina refused.

Fiorina wants Planned Parenthood defunded, and many Republicans on Capitol Hill favor shutting down the government over the issue. Clinton supports Planned Parenthood and accuses Republicans, correctly, of misrepresenting the group’s position on abortion made in a politically skewed video.

In a recent interview with People magazine, Fiorina said: “I think there are many, many Democrats who find it impossible to admire a woman that they politically disagree with. So when you have Democrats saying my candidacy is offensive to women, that’s about politics. That’s not about an admiration of a fellow woman. That’s not about kinship. And I think that’s too bad.”

Campaigning is a tough, tough business. And this year we have two smart, wealthy, controversial women with polar-opposite views competing with gusto.

Both women have shown stamina, a sense of humor and dogged determination on the most difficult trail in America.

We’d like to see a debate between these women with nobody else on the stage. We won’t, but it would be rollicking, riveting and informative television. For certain, there’d be a more interesting take on Keystone than we’ve heard so far, with Fiorina for it and Clinton opposed.

Ann McFeatters is a columnist for Tribune News Service.