You know, I left the country when Reagan got in; I went to France. And when George Bush Jr. got in, my instincts told me it was time to go – I’d felt that we had grown above that, you know?
Meaning of the quote
In this quote, Tommy Chong, a Canadian actor, is sharing his personal experiences with the political climate in the United States. When the conservative Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were elected, Chong felt that the country had taken a concerning turn, so he decided to leave and go to France. He believed that the U.S. had progressed beyond the type of leadership these presidents represented, which prompted him to seek a different environment.
About Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, musician, and activist best known for his role in the marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy duo and movies, as well as his portrayal of the character Leo on the TV show That ’70s Show. He became a naturalized US citizen in the late 1980s.
More quotes from Tommy Chong
If I don’t get paid I’m going to take a whole lot of Marshall amps home with me on the plane.
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No. Maceo played sax, didn’t he, well they used to sit in.
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Well, I had an after hours club in Vancouver and when any of the Motown acts would call.
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I was about sixteen when I discovered that music could get you laid, so I got into music boy, didn’t matter what you looked like either, you could be a geeky looking guy but if you played music, whoa, you’d get the girls.
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The Shades never recorded anything, Little Daddy and the Bachelors recorded a couple of records, ya.
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One night all the James Brown band was playing on stage and I look in the back and I could see Mick Jagger and Keith Richards trying to get in the club and they couldn’t get in cause it was to crowded.
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I know, because I tried all sorts of ways of being in character, and the best way is to be totally straight.
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I never did smoke that much pot; never was a big pothead.
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Well I don’t know, I might have lost my citizenship, I don’t think you can lose your citizenship though.
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We won a contest at the teen fair in Vancouver and the first prize was a recording contract and we recorded at a radio station on the stairway, and we did a record and it got put out.
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Unfortunately, the American justice system is just riddled with lies and inconsistencies.
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Cigarettes, I won’t do cigarettes, nicotine will kill ya.
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But you can’t exercise and be high. It’s impossible.
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I’m as clean as a whistle.
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Maybe once in a while, you know, after a hard day of shooting or something like that, I’d kick back.
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Any excuse to live in New York and do art. Has to be one of the most rewarding experiences in the world.
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The funny thing is, Dennis Miller got me back into comedy.
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They just wanted to show the entertainment world that we’re vulnerable.
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Every time I get tested, I ask questions about it, and I watch how they do it.
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You know, I left the country when Reagan got in; I went to France. And when George Bush Jr. got in, my instincts told me it was time to go – I’d felt that we had grown above that, you know?
Canadian actor and comedian