Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

Reagan’s quip plays on the old saying that prostitution is “the oldest profession.” By calling politics the “second oldest” and then claiming it closely resembles the first, he suggests that political life is marked by transactional behavior—selling influence, compromising principles, and courting patrons—rather than disinterested public service. The humor depends on innuendo and exaggeration, but it also functions as a populist critique: it flatters audiences who feel alienated from government by implying that insiders are morally compromised. In Reagan’s hands, the line also reinforces his broader rhetorical persona as an outsider skeptical of entrenched political culture.

1) “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”
2) “Politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”
3) “Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I’ve come to realize it bears a close resemblance to the oldest.”