Well, he did say this was a War. If Pearl Harbor is the reference, then it sounds to me like he’s saying that he has screwed up Big Time.
Sometimes one needs to switch analogies though, and I don’t really think he goofed as bad as that. I didn’t take it that he meant this was a sneak attack. Because he turns around and says it is an unexpected set back, but they will continue to work and stay positive.
Maybe, like Cain, Gingrich never expected to get as far as he did. It’s like the dog who unexpectedly catches the car it was chasing. So now what does the dog do with it?