(Image Source: Newt.org) 

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

With the South Carolina primary coming up this weekend, GOP candidates were scrambling to get the attention off of Mitt Romney during Monday night’s debate. One comment by Newt Gingrich brought the crowd to its feet.

GINGRICH: “I’m going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn how to get a better job, and learn someday to own the job.” (Fox News)

A little background here -- Gingrich had previously said he wanted to encourage African Americans to demand quote “paychecks, not welfare.” Debate moderator Juan Williams had asked Gingrich whether comments like that were insulting.

Comedy Central live-blogged the debate, and poked fun at the comment -- suggesting Gingrich still sounded like an elitist.

“Newt Gingrich paraphrased: ‘I'm going to continue help poor people find jobs scrubbing my toilet.’”

That’s a reference to a Gingrich plan that would give school children jobs as janitors. But a pollster tells Fox News the “standing O” he got during the debate was kind of a big deal...

“I’ve never seen it in a debate and I’ve been to debates now for 16 years.  A standing ovation in the middle of a debate.”

Conservative blog The American Spectator said the debate moment showed Gingrich at his best.

“…this was the Newt Gingrich so many missed when he was smacking back at Romney by going after Bain Capital.”

But in a special to CNN, Todd Graham writes, don’t put too much stock in the crowd reaction. He warns the audience at home to pay attention to the issues, not the cheering.

“ … the opinions of the live audience are not necessarily reflective of anything, including logic. And try to resist being influenced by overzealous fools watching the debate from the cheap seats. If this continues, we're in danger of letting the loud few influence the silent many watching at home. … After all, higher decibel levels must indicate better policies.”

Polls still show Mitt Romney with the lead in South Carolina.