Fred Thompson hasn't decided whether to run for president, but he's committed to headlining a major Virginia GOP fundraiser in June and addressing a dinner for a Florida bar association two weeks from now. These appearances indicate that Thompson is popular enough to draw a crowd of Republican faithful who are willing to plunk down dollars to at least hear him speak. Some will see Thompson's popularity and speeches to Republicans as more an effort to gain PR than the party's nomination, but the same was said about Rudy Giuliani a year ago and proved not to be true.

The real test will be the crowds' reactions, especially that of Virginia Republicans who must be melancholy after losing the last two gubernatorial elections and seeing their own presumptive presidential candidate, George Allen, self-destruct in last year's Senate race.

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