With the time for the upcoming presidential primaries quickly approaching we must look at both parties and see where they are on the spectrum this election.

While they are not fighting against each other yet seeing what their strengths and weaknesses are will help decide what party to vote for in the primaries.

The party that’s the easiest to look at first is the Republican Party. Their greatest strength in this upcoming election is the fact that the Senate right now is a Republican Senate. Meaning that when they poll there is more of a likelihood that a person will vote Republican. They also have a leg up because of the fact that there has been a Democrat in office for the past two terms.

However because the chances for a republican to be elected are so high they have also created their greatest weakness: too many candidates. There are so many candidates for the Republican Party right now that it’s hard to keep track. Because of the high number of candidates, polls will be more diffused and people who might have unified under one particular candidate are now spread out among 13 different candidates.

The other big weakness of the Republican Party is Donald Trump. He’s a loud and ridiculous candidate who is getting poll votes simply because he is such a big name. As of right now he is polling at 40 percent, which is above every other candidate by a mile.

Where the Republican Party has its weaknesses the Democrats have their strengths and vice versa. Their biggest strength is the fact that they have fewer candidates up for election. Because of this polling results will be more accurate and there’s more of a likelihood that an actually viable candidate will be chosen for the party representative.

Their other strength is the millennial vote. A majority of millennials support unitedly under the Democratic Party. It’s good to also note that millennials make up a majority of the population.

However one of the Democratic Party’s biggest strengths is also one of their biggest weaknesses. A majority of their supporters are millennials. Historically millennials are known to not vote in elections. While a majority of them support the democrats, it’s highly unlikely that they will actually vote for the candidate they wish to win simply because they feel they won’t make a difference.

Another weakness they have is the fact that a Democrat has served for the past two terms, making it more difficult for them to win. The party will also have to fight against a Republican Senate and all of those voters who voted for a Republican Senate.

Both of their strengths and weaknesses are evenly balanced. Only time will tell who will gain the upper hand.