The main difference, I would say, is gingrich makes sense and he doesn’t require a teleprompter to talk to elementary students.
Otherwise, it is a combination of things. Being able to articulate your ideas is a good thing. Not taking crap from the media or your opponent (including not letting them define you) is another biggie. In my not so humble oppinion.
Another big difference is that Newt OBVIOUSLY writes or comes up with all this stuff himself. His statements aren’t prepared by consultants, they aren’t focus-grouped, they don’t come off a party talking points sheet, you don’t hear 20 other commentators reciting the same text on the same day, and Newt sincerely believes everything he says. He is a rare, gifted and exceptional political thinker and leader. If there’s a sad note, it’s that in politics as in almost every other walk of life, the visionaries in the field like Newt are less understood, less accepted and more feared by the lesser minds.