In recent years, television spot advertising has become an important part of political campaigns because it allows candidates to select the most favorable content, medium, time, and audience available to them. In the 1984 United States Senate campaign in Michigan, both the incumbent, Democrat Carl Levin, and the challenger, Republican Jack Lousma, ran political spots that attempted to present their own attributes favorably and to accent their opponent's weaknesses. Lousma, because of a hotly contested Republican primary, was on the defensive and tried to erase his image of being an inexperienced outsider. Lousma wavered until mid-October, when he became more direct and more effective. Levin was portrayed from the beginning as an experienced, effective leader. Because of this, he did win the 1984 election and a six-year term in Congress. (DF)