Senator John McCain's back-and-forth banter with "Snooki" -- of Jersey Shore shame -- seems to have earned him high marks as far as his digital prowess goes.

Researchers are dubbing the study as the "definitive benchmark for online competence."

McCain has over 650,000 "fans" on Facebook, and over 1.7 million followers on Twitter -- including "Snooki" -- which is what earned Arizona's 73-year-old senator top honors in the study.

In contrast, McCain's opponent in the GOP Senate primary, J.D. Hayworth, has 282 "fans" on Facebook and 2,536 followers on Twitter -- and not a single one of them is a reality TV star.

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Digital nerd-alert! Time to up your game, J.D.

Other social media "geniuses" include Senators Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and John Cornyn of Texas.

Ironically, many analysts have given partial credit for McCain's downfall in the 2008 presidential election to his failure to embrace social media and reach young voters as effectively as Barack Obama.

Thanks to a 4-foot-9 "guidette," "The Maverick" no longer has that problem.

• Elections