Candidates just can’t stop networking

They tweet, poke, friend, comment, upload and post constantly.

And they're everywhere.

Campaigning politicians who have Twitter and Facebook accounts are instantly updating their followers about their every waking move.

We know when they're cutting ribbons and kissing babies because after these events they're posting pictures and video, just in case we didn't know what those things looked like.

Sites such as YouTube allow candidates viral Internet spots for a fraction of the cost it takes to make TV ads, and Nevada's U.S. Senate hopefuls are heavily utilizing these tools during this election cycle.

There's no denying social networking sites are changing the political landscape by flooding voters with candidate information by the minute.

Here's a look at the most active candidates online:

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/Harry Reid -- 9,995 fans

■ Twitter: SenatorReid -- 7,729 followers or HarryReid -- 1,764 followers

■ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/harryreid2010 -- 28 uploaded videos

Pros: Reid tweets in moderation, mostly about national and local public appearances once every few days. His campaign has a strong grasp for the "at reply" on Twitter, which when coupled with someone's name, produces a personalized message to particular users. Take a chance and tweet him. See if he or his campaign responds. Likes Bob Dylan on his Facebook page.

Cons: Reid uses his Facebook account as a dumping ground to post links of self-promoting videos and articles every 40 minutes. Reid and his campaign never seem to engage his Facebook followers. He also refers to himself in the third-person on his campaigning Twitter account.

Sue Lowden (GOP challenger)

■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Sue-Lowden/194038416113 -- 6,719 friends

■ Twitter: Sue_Lowden -- 1,586 followers

■ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/suelowden -- 34 uploaded videos

Pros: Lowden and her campaigners hold in-depth discussions about hot button topics such as immigration reform with her Facebook followers. She's worth a comment if you want to try to talk to her about issues. Posts about events and thanks her supporters.

Cons: Tweets Reid's name more than her own. Pushes her online "Yard Sign" application on Facebook.

Danny Tarkanian (GOP challenger)

■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/DannyTarkanian -- 4,235 friends

■ Twitter: DannyTarkanian -- 1,257 followers

■ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TarkanianForSenate -- 32 uploaded videos

Pros: Tarkanian posts to his social networking sites only when necessary for events and key endorsements. He consistently tweets how much he enjoys traveling for his campaign, and always posts some sort of "It's good to be home" comment.

Cons: Tweets about himself in the third person at times. Frequently solicits donations on both Twitter and Facebook.

Sharron Angle (GOP challenger)

■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/SharronAngle -- 1,150 friends

■ Twitter: SharronAngle -- 523 followers

■ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/sharronangle -- 25 uploaded videos

Pros: Tweets a few times a day. Angle's campaign made #SharronAngleMoneyBomb a trending topic on Twitter. She seems to really understand the concept of hashtags, using the # sign to group tweets on the same topic.

Cons: Angle and her campaign obsessively invite Facebook followers to her public appearances. Angle also "likes" her own events after posting them and tags herself in photos or other online graphics.

NOT PRO PORNOGRAPHY

In an election year that is already dicey for incumbents, the last thing a member of Congress wants to see is a television commercial accusing them of being soft on pornography.

So it was last Thursday that half of the Democrats in the U.S. House, including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, jumped ship when confronted with an audacious "gotcha" move by Republicans during debate on an $86 billion science research and education bill.

In a last-minute effort to blunt a bill they said was too expensive, Republicans proposed to send the bill back to committee with a mandatory amendment that froze its spending and cut a five-year bill down to three years.

Wait, there's more.

The amendment also said no funds could be used to pay the salary of any federal worker who has been disciplined for viewing porn while on the job. Inspectors have found some employees at the National Science Foundation doing just that.

The bill manager -- Bart Gordon, D-Tenn. -- fumed at the trap, and told lawmakers that "if you vote for this, you should be embarrassed."

Obviously, he said afterward, "the purpose was to go to (Democrats') districts, run some sort of TV that said they were pro-pornography."

Still, 121 Democrats evidently felt they could not risk it. They voted for the Republican motion, which prevailed 292-126 and prompted the leadership to pull the bill from the floor.

Titus was a big supporter of the science bill even as she cast a vote that sank it for now. Titus spokesman Andrew Stoddard acknowledged the porn language gave her pause.

If Titus had voted against the Republican motion, "then these guys will turn around and use that down the line," Stoddard said. "They are trying to put people in a tough position."

Democratic leaders plan to bring the bill back later. Rep. Shelley Berkley, in a decidedly safer Democratic district, voted for the bill.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S RACE

Jessica Sferrazza, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor is set to be the first in her primary race to go on television with ads.

Sferrazza, a Reno city councilwoman, is expected to spend about $75,000 placing an ad titled "Real Record. Real Plan."

An early cut of the straightforward ad shows Sferrazza speaking directly to the camera and talking mainly about the economy.

"We have to diversify and get people back to work," she says. "As a councilwoman I brought over $100 million in stimulus, renewable energy and revenue bonds to our state."

Sferrazza is also the daughter of former Reno Mayor Pete Sferrazza. She is running in the Democratic primary against Reno-area aerospace consultant Robert Randazzo and Las Vegas real estate businessman Paul Murad.

The television ads will run mostly in Las Vegas, as Sferrazza already is well known in Reno, said her consultant Jim Ferrence.

The spending represents nearly half of the approximately $140,000 Sferrazza has raised so far, Ferrence said.

The winning Democrat will face either Republican incumbent Brian Krolicki or challenger Barbara Lee Woollen in the general election. A Republican primary poll last week showed Krolicki as the choice of 60 percent of respondents with Woollen preferred by just 3 percent.

Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault and Review-Journal reporter Benjamin Spillman contributed to this report. Contact Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.