Newt Gingrich is a strange fellow: he was the leader of the Republican Revolution in 1994, leading his party to a tremendous victory in the elections for Congress; he then led the firm and passionate opposition against Bill Clinton yet was able to cooperate with Clinton when the two could agree on a common approach to a shared problem; he was and is a man of great political skills and ideas yet often lost himself in petty partisan bickering; he is considered a leading Republican who has no chance whatsoever of winning presidential elections; he is highly intelligent but also willing to do everything for media attention; he led a Republican Party rooted in social conservatism and moral values yet cheated on his wife more than once.

In short, Gingrich is the kind of man who embodies “complicated.”

In an article for Politico, Daniel Libit tries to figure Gingrich out. After reading the article in its entirety an objective reader can only conclude one thing: Libit has come to the conclusion that Gingrich is too complicated a man to ‘figure out.’ The only man who may understand Gingrich fully is Gingrich himself. The rest of us mere mortals can only look at him in amazement, praising him for his strengths, criticizing his flaws.

What is clear, however, is that Gingrich is a great opposition leader. Once in power, Gingrich loses many of his strenghts – passionate yet intelligent reasoning, an air of being an outsider. But considering the situation the Republican Party has found itself in after the 08 elections, Gingrich seems to be the man who can help lead the party out of the swamp and into paradise.

This does not mean that Gingrich should be the public or even de facto leader of the party. Rather, he should be the one who helps his party articulate new and clear ideas, explain them to voters, and energize voters. If not the public leader, he could be the man behind the curtains: advising his party’s public leaders, encouraging them, assisting them. He can also go on national television every now and then, voicing Republican opposition to Barack Obama and the Democratic-led Congress.

When elections are near, however, Gingrich should refrain from running for office: he will do his party a better service by being who he is today; a man of ideas, of inspired opposition, a voice of (conservative) reason.

He should, in short, be the GOP’s grandfather: that old and wise man, who gives his children and grandchildren advise on family and professional matters.