Great news, America! The election is almost over. All the craziness and fear mongering and ridiculous tactics are almost at an end. It’s hard to believe how quickly November 8th is approaching. I feel as if I can barely recall life before this election cycle began. Not to alarm anyone, but I’m already looking forward to 2020.

I’ve been asked quite a few times lately to explain my admiration for The Donald’s wife. Most of the time I rattle off something about feeling like no one else defends her, so I must, but that’s not the entire and sole reason for my respect for the potential First Lady. In a query comparable to the chicken and the egg, I truly do not know which came first, my appreciation of Melania Trump herself or my appreciation for the SNL impersonation of her. The truth is that my respect began as a means of defending Melania, but over time it has blossomed into so much more. The truth is that Melania does not need defending. Not only is she quite capable of looking out for herself and her household, she has also made it quite clear she does not want sympathy. Yet sympathize I do and defend I shall.

It irks me to no end that everyone attacks Melania Trump for seemingly no reason. The convention speech was a horrendous fiasco that should have been easily avoided, but I think we all know the blame for that was not on Melania, and the media had already made up its mind about Mrs. Trump long before she spoke in Cleveland. Pundits and commentators mock her voice, diction, facial expressions and nearly everything about her. I have always asserted that Melania is an intelligent, poised woman who loves her husband and son, but I did fall into a trap earlier in the election in regards to Melania. I was outraged when she claimed she would be a First Lady in the style of Jacqueline Kennedy and denounced such blasphemous assertions. I swore up and down she was nothing like Jackie. Now I have realized I could not have been more wrong.

Do not misunderstand me. I still love Jackie immensely and believe she was an exceptional First Lady unlike any other. I am by no means claiming Melania and she would be similar in every aspect, but lately I have been noticing quite a few parallels in their lives that have prompted me to retract past statements I have made decrying the comparison of the two women. Besides the obvious and more facile comparisons (ie both being interested in fashion, both having a fairly European mindset -- though Jackie’s was more French), the women are strikingly similar in their priorities and approaches to life.

Despite backgrounds in similar fields, Melania’s in modeling and Jackie’s as the inquiring photographer for the Washington Times Herald, both women have been notoriously wary of the press and journalists. Jackie detested photographers and interviewers unless they were hand-selected, and she was often incensed by prying eyes and ears. She abhorred the practice of journalists who looked for stories about and pictures of her children, and she was fiercely protective of both John John and Caroline. Likewise, Melania Trump possesses noted disdain for the press. She is also fiercely protective of her young son, Barron, and she does her best to keep him out of the limelight. So far she has been fairly successful in this endeavor. Jackie Kennedy was infamously not afraid to threaten or sue reporters who misrepresented facts or made up false claims about her family. Melania Trump has also proven herself as not intimidated or afraid of taking legal action in similar instances, most recently with the People magazine article detailing an alleged sexual assault Donald committed. Melania has demanded formal retractions on several occasions, and once she decides to pursue a case, she usually gets her desired result.

Jackie Kennedy was not cut out for a political life. That is no slight to her; actually it is a fact to her credit. She had the head for it, but not the heart. She became far too personally involved in some political matters and found herself unable to forgive her husband’s critics later when it was beneficial to his career to play nice. To Jackie, you either liked someone or you did not. Someone was either kind of they were not. She didn’t play the political game. Melania Trump now finds herself in a very similar dilemma. She gets too invested on a personal level on many issues. Being the wife of arguably the most contentious and divisive candidate in modern political history cannot be an easy task. She has had to hear a barrage of negative comments aimed at her husband, her family and even she herself. She does not take kindly to the people who say disparaging things about her husband and her household, and she makes that fact plainly known. She is shrewd in her dealings and does not at all enjoy the political arena. In fact, she did not initially want Donald to run for the presidency, though she ultimately supported his decision.

Jackie was no fan of campaigning. The stress weighed on her significantly, and she often bowed out of official engagements and skipped campaign stops if she could. Conventions especially were stressful and took a toll on her. Melania, too, greatly dislikes campaigning. She has avoided it as much as possible, choosing instead to devote her time to raising Barron. She does not enjoy the anxiety and tension of campaigning or conventions and feels that there are better uses of her time.

Perhaps the most striking way in which these two political spouses are similar, however, is the fact that they are unknowable. Both are shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Jackie was extremely withdrawn and emotionally aloof during her lifetime. It is entirely possible that no one outside of Jack and the children ever truly knew or understood the beloved First Lady. She was something of an enigma. Scholars and historians have long since debated and speculated as to who Jackie truly was, but the fact of the matter is she was purposefully and insanely emotionally guarded. Melania Trump is no different. She openly admitted in her recent interview with Anderson Cooper that most people do not know her. She is constantly misunderstood or reduced to superficial speculation by people who do not understand her. All the emphasis is placed on her appearance and accent, and no one bothers to look any deeper than that. She is also aloof and emotionally withdrawn for good reason. Jackie could have happily lived out her days riding her horses and reading French literature if Jack had not been so politically ambitious. Who knows how Melania would be occupying her time if Donald had not made his career jump?

The fact that neither woman will ever be truly known is as sad as it is intriguing. It is not sad for them, but it is sad to me that such interesting and compelling women will never be understood. Maybe that is just the way they prefer it. I can’t say I blame them. For these aforementioned reasons and many more, I formally retract my earlier statement that Melania Trump will never be the next Jackie Kennedy. She may be the closest we ever get.