This past spring when the first opinion poll was conducted on Utah's upcoming election for U.S. senator, Bob Bennett not surprisingly found himself way ahead of the pack.

Nearing the end of his second term, the popular politician received the nod from 63 percent of the poll's statewide respondents. Lagging far behind were Democrat challenger Paul Van Dam and Don't Know, each tallying only 16 percent.

Staggering lead notwithstanding, the good news didn't mean Utah's junior senator was about to take his opponent lightly, though.

"While we're obviously very encouraged," Bennett said this spring, "we will run a serious race because Paul Van Dam is a very serious politician on the other side."

You'd have a hard time guessing that, judging his campaign so far. Serious isn't exactly the tone of Bennett's billboards, which contain quick-read blurbs that deliver punchlines and describe his personal traits without delving into serious issues or politics. While he might be taking the former Utah attorney general seriously, Bennett isn't necessarily giving himself the same serious treatment.

If you've missed the signs — the ones that didn't reveal who they were talking about until recently — they read as follows:

Able. Articulate. Aerodynamic.

Big heart. Big ideas. Big ears.

Bold. Brilliant. Beanpole.

Honest. Humble. Hairless.

Trustworthy. Tireless. Tall.

Better looking than Abraham Lincoln. (Just barely.)

The light-hearted — and reportedly effective — approach could be taken as a reflection of Bennett's comfort level with his own looks and, more importantly, of his enviable pole-position spot in the Senate race. Weeks before the Nov. 2 election, he has a huge poll lead (60 percent to Van Dam's 23 percent) and at last check owns a very high approval rating (73 percent).

Though his ads show he has a sense of humor, Bennett isn't always one to dilly-dally in small talk and pleasantries. His son, Jim, describes him as being "more comfortable talking about substantive big ideas. He likes talking about things that matter."

To wit, a recent interview with a reporter quickly went from brief informal get-to-know-you chit-chat to how Malaysia dealt with Y2K issues to talking about Industrial Loan Corporations' impact on Utah's economy to discussing the importance of keeping Hill Air Force Base functioning.