Another thing too is that with Newt's grasp of history (of the history of presidential campaigns and then some) he knows many tricks that have worked before. And with his knowledge of how new technology is changing history, he is able to employ his grasp of history in the out of the box ways you mention.
And another thing (if that weren't enough), Newt is unflappable and even seems to enjoy this process...unlike Romney, who seems not to be having any fun.
Ever met an English "football hooligan"?
I have ... splendid fellow, actually. Near as I could tell, he brawls at football matches because it's fun. He enjoys that.