Newt’s problem is he thinks every idea he has is brilliant. Most aren’t, and he’s not capable of the level of self-criticism necessary to weed out the good ones from the bad. I also don’t see him as particularly open to criticism from others, which leads to questionable decision-making.
Newt’s intelligent. That’s not the same thing as smart.
That’s exactly how I feel about him. He’s too caught up in his own intelligence for me.