I’ve run into Fred Thompson twice today at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference and I’m about to see him a third time as he addresses attendees during dinner.

My first encounter came early this afternoon in the lobby of the Grand Hotel when a pack of supporters surrounded him in hopes of scoring an autograph or a photo. Then later this afternoon, I attended a brief press conference, where about a dozen cameramen and even more reporters asked him about the importance of Michigan in presidential politics, the state’s economy, and his views on campaign-finance reform.

Thompson’s big moment comes tonight when he shares the stage with Sen. John McCain, but based on what I’ve see so far, he’s already rivaling Rudy Giuliani in popularity.