They all do it, but former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic candidate most likely to use a "filler phrase" while debating. Biden is prone to say 鈥渢he fact is鈥 or 鈥渢he fact of the matter,鈥 according to the , who identified 23 common sayings uttered by the Democratic presidential candidates in the debates so far. For every 1,000 words Biden says during a debate, the former vice president uses nearly six fillers.
Not far behind Biden is California Senator Kamala Harris, who commonly says things like 鈥渓et me tell you鈥 or 鈥淚 will tell you.鈥 She typically uses more than five filler phrases for every 1,000 words.
In the middle of the pack, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders tends to utter 鈥渂y the way鈥 and 鈥渟econd of all鈥 nearly five times per 1,000 words and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker veers toward 鈥渇irst of all.鈥
Less likely to use filler phrases are Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Warren will use the filler 鈥渓et鈥檚 be clear鈥 and Buttigieg is likely to say 鈥淚 will tell you鈥 or 鈥渓et me tell you.鈥
Ten candidates qualified for the fifth Democratic debate in Atlanta. The stricter guidelines meant former Housing Secretary Juli谩n Castro did not qualify, though he participated in all the other debates. Former Texas Rep. Beto O鈥橰ourke, who also appeared in all the other debates, dropped out of the race November 1.

















