Fleischer: GOP choices still unsettled, but “everybody wants a date with Fred”

ABC News’ Christine Byun reports: There was an unannounced visitor to unannounced Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson’s media availability at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, IN. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer sat on the sidelines during Thompson’s 15 minute open-question forum, observing the former Tennessee senator field questions from roughly 20 journalists. Thompson greeted Fleischer with a jovial "hello" – Fleischer spoke at a session about the media’s impact on U.S politics earlier in the day.

As Thompson and his advisers rushed out of the room to prep for his keynote speech later tonight, Fleischer lingered around, chatting with several journalists. Fleischer  – who says he’s neutral in his support of the GOP candidates – tells ABC NEWS that Republican voters are still looking for a candidate to best represent them in the 2008 elections. He says people are excited about a possible Thompson candidacy.

"The Republican Party is in the dating stage, and everybody wants a date with Fred Thompson," Fleischer said. "But it’s so early still, the Republicans are still so unsettled – it’s just much too early to say."

Thompson is expected to announce his official candidacy sometime after Labor Day after a summer of  testing-the-waters, which included several staff shufflings and increased scrutiny. Thompson reportedly was to announce his official candidacy around the Fourth of July, and Fleischer notes "his momentum took a dip – a small one – [but] it’s easily reobtained in September."

"I think we’ll know quickly," Fleischer tells ABC News. "I think from the moment Fred Thompson declares – he’s got a one week window – for people to say he’s for real or not. If he’s for real, the sky’s the limit. If people get a let-down feeling after his announcement, because he got in so late, it will be harder for him."