Christine O'Donnell Was Second-Biggest Newsmaker in 2010 Election, Study Finds

The top newsmaker in the 2010 election? President Obama, of course. But who comes in at no. 2?

Christine O'Donnell.

That's right, the "I'm-not-a-witch" Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Delaware was the second biggest object of media attention this election, according to an analysis
by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Obama and his administration led in 343 election stories from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31. But the Tea Party-backed O'Donnell dominated 160 election stories. And three other of the 10 top election newsmakers came from the Tea Party: Kentucky GOP senate candidate Rand Paul ranked fourth (88 stories); Nevada Republican Sharron Angle ranked sixth (80 stories); and Carl Paladino, GOP candidate for New York governor, is tied for ninth at 52 stories.

O'Donnell "rose from obscurity to become a household name in a matter of weeks, if not days," the Pew study says. Her "upset primary win over Congressman Mike Castle - as well as her penchant for controversial statements (some of them well in the past) about everything from dabbling in witchcraft to the separation of church and state - has made her a media favorite."

Getty Images photo of Christine O'Donnell and opponent Chris Coons in a U.S. Senate debate at the University of Delaware on Oct. 13.

Follow me on Facebook & Twitter