Newt Gingrich's Plan for a Moon Colony Has Become an Issue that Won't Go Away

COMMENTARY | Newt Gingrich may not have meant for his remark about a moon colony to become the central theme to his campaign, but if you have been paying any attention to the web it seems that his moon colony plans have been made a focal point of attack on Newt Gingrich's presidential bid.

Back in January during a Florida debate, Gingrich described himself as a visionary when he unveiled plans to create a permanent colony on the moon within the next nine years. His plans were maybe better received in Florida, home of many NASA jobs and projects. But these ideas to the rest of the nation were not received as well. With unemployment soaring and the national debt rising, it may not have been the grand idea people were looking for to lift our country out of the dire straits we are in.

Taking the political opportunity, his campaign rivals have hammered Gingrich on this idea from the start. Many pundits also have taken part in the moon colony humor. Mitt Romney fired a shot at Gingrich on the eve of the primary in Florida, ridiculing the former House speaker's futuristic plans for a lunar colony. "Send him to the moon!" Romney said during a campaign stop. Ron Paul also took a jab at Newt's idea during a televised debate when asked about Newt's moon colony saying "I think maybe we need to send some politicians up there."

If it was not bad enough that Gingrich's campaign has to deal with the dogging about his moon colony ideas from fellow GOP rivals, he now has to worry about the comedic circles who have taken this as a golden opportunity to poke fun of him. Saturday Night Live recently aired a skit that has the web abuzz poking fun of Gingrich's moon colony, in which Gingrich is living in a colony on the moon in post-apocalyptic times.

It just seems that Gingrich can't get away from the issue. In an effort to get out in front of the pack, Gingrich visited Ohio for some campaigning well ahead of Ohio's swing state primary in March. However as Gingrich's Campaign bus pulled up to the stop he was greeted by an animated protester wearing a astronaut helmet and holding a sign that read "Newt Gingrich for Moon President." Perhaps Gingrich will be able to refocus his campaign on the issues despite the moon colony circus. Only time and space will tell.