Details about Newt's campaign stop in Iowa today

From Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines-Register:

Gingrich and [Ron] Paul had dueling presidential campaign events today: both were billed as town hall meetings and both began at 2 p.m. in Sioux City.

It offered a rare chance to get a side-by-side look at events for the two GOP candidates.

Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker from Georgia, drew a slightly bigger crowd – about 40 more people than Paul, a longtime congressman from Texas.

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More people came to Gingrich’s event than were at Paul’s across town -- about 215.

Because the event took place on Morningside College’s campus, it instantly had the atmosphere of a college lecture. Although they nodded and laughed at points, the audience was more subdued than the Paul crowd. Gingrich attracted more young people: It was an even split with half college students, half older Iowans.

Jacobs notes that Newt spoke for just a few minutes, then opened it up for questions from the audience.

Jacobs:

THEMES: Anecdotes about the 1980s, 1990s and the Reagan administration; the 10th amendment; the military; harsh criticism of the Obama administration; the Contract with America introduced 17 years ago and the one he intends to unveil Sept. 29.

REACTION: Ted Brian, 43, a teacher who lives in Sioux City, said he thought Gingrich came across as trustworthy and believable.

“The thing that impressed me the most about the speech was that he seems to have specific ideas and specific programs he wants to either implement or cut,” Brian said. “And he doesn’t seem afraid to talk about those specifics.”

Jacobs quotes Newt:

“I do not ask anyone to be for me. I’m asking people to be with me because I think this is going to eight years of very hard work. … If you try change of this scale, you’re going to have things that don’t work very well.”