Democratic presidential candidates tried to interrupt each other more than 23 times, and they name-dropped President Donald Trump 68 times. Then there was the 30330 thing.
The second group of 10 Democratic 2020 hopefuls took the stage in Detroit Wednesday. Here’s a look at the night by the numbers:
20:58 minutes
How long former Vice President Joe Biden spoke, the most of the 10 candidates.
It was perhaps not unexpected that he got the most time, as candidates across the board went after Biden for his record on women’s rights, immigration and health care.
Sen. Kamala Harris, who garnered attention after she took shots at Biden’s record on busing at the June debates, came in second with 18 minutes and 21 seconds. On Wednesday, she defended her record as a prosecutor against Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and continued to attack Biden.
23+
How many times candidates tried to interrupt each other.
Like Tuesday night, candidates were forewarned that their time would be reduced with every interruption. Harris and Biden, among others, still attempted to squeeze in responses.
“Mr. Vice President, I didn’t interrupt you. Please show me that respect, sir,” Sen. Cory Booker said to Biden during a back-and-forth on criminal justice reform.
10,486
How many Twitter users followed entrepreneur Andrew Yang during the debate, according to a POLITICO analysis.
Despite getting the least speaking time, Yang saw a spike in followers throughout the night. Gabbard came in second with an increase of 8,616 followers. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, however, only gained 402 followers.
2,200 percent
How much the question “Who is winning the debate tonight?” spiked in Google searches.
It was on everyone’s minds as frontrunners Biden and Harris withstood attacks from all sides.
4
How many times hecklers in the audience interrupted candidates.
There were shouts of “3 million deportations” as Biden tried to defend President Barack Obama’s record on immigration and assert what he would do differently. At another point, when Booker and de Blasio were speaking, shouts of “Fire Pantaleo” erupted, referring to the officer involved in Eric Garner’s death.
68
How many times candidates name-dropped Trump.
“We need to do the opposite of much of what we’re doing right now, and the opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math," Yang said, referencing part of his campaign slogan, “Make America Think Harder."
13
How many times candidates name-dropped Obama.
Most of these mentions came from Biden, a tactic he has used throughout the campaign cycle. He name-checked Obama whenever he faced fire, talking about the strength of Obamacare and the former president’s role in pulling troops out of Iraq. But he also sought to avoid talking about the rate of deportations in the previous administration.
“You can’t have it both ways. You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign. You can’t do it when it’s convenient and dodge it when it’s not,” Booker said to Biden.
19
How many times candidates referenced the climate or climate change.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee led the pack on this issue, making it clear it would be his first priority upon being sworn into office. Inslee had pushed for more debate time spent on climate change after the June round.
"Look, climate change is not a singular issue. It is all the issues that we Democrats care about. It is health, it is national security, it is our economy," he said.
3
How many times candidates said “my friend” about a 2020 rival — before going after that rival on policy.
“First of all, with all due respect to my friend Michael Bennet, my plan does not offer anything that is illegal,” Harris said when questioned on health care and whether she would ban employer-based health insurance.
Some Twitter users found the phrase insincere, calling for candidates to “say what they really mean.”
2
How many times Harris called Biden “Sen. Biden” instead of “Vice President Biden.”
Her slips came after Biden shook her hand at the start of the debate and said, “Go easy on me, kid.” The comment received backlash on social media, including from Harris’ national press secretary.
30330
The number Biden dropped — confusingly — at the end of his closing statement.
His last sentence, “If you agree with me, go to Joe 30330 and help me in this fight,” was intended to tell viewers to text “JOE” to 30330, but he fumbled the delivery of the line.
Shortly after the debate ended, Joe3030.com redirected to a website for 2020 contender Pete Buttigieg, while a site called “Josh for America” took Joe30330.com. Joe33030.com, however, redirected to Biden’s own site.