Barack Obama is the fastest presidential talker since Ronald Reagan

As we saw previously, thus far through his presidency Barack Obama has delivered the second-longest State of the Union speeches as measured by minutes. Bill Clinton, famously, was the most longwinded of our recent presidents.

This chart, also by Anand Katakam, shows that one reason Obama's speeches are shorter than Clinton's are simply that he talks faster:

The closest thing to a pattern I can find here is that southern presidents talk faster than northern presidents, which is especially true if you count George HW Bush as a Texan rather than a New Englander. On the other hand, even though he made Texas the base for his runs for political office, it's probably more accurate to say he's from Connecticut.

We have a request

Vox's journalism is free because we believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, consumers and stewards of this planet. In short, understanding benefits everyone. You can join in on this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Reader support helps keep our work free, for everyone. Will you join us?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via