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Is the famously combative Newt Gingrich trying to kill Mitt Romney with kindness?

That鈥檚 how it looked on 鈥�The Kudlow Report鈥� on CNBC Tuesday night, when the former House speaker heaped praise on the former governor of Massachusetts, his chief rival for the Republican presidential nomination. True, Mr. Gingrich also patted Mr. Romney on the head a little bit in claiming that he 鈥渉elped Mitt Romney get rich鈥� with business-friendly legislation back in the '80s and '90s.

鈥淗e should be thanking me because I did the macroeconomic things necessary to make his career possible,鈥� Gingrich said.

But Gingrich also didn鈥檛 hesitate to gush about what a great guy Romney is. When asked whether Romney could beat him in the primaries, Gingrich turned on the charm.

鈥淟ook, I think Mitt Romney's a very smart man,鈥� Gingrich said. 鈥淚 think any Republican could be proud to have him as their nominee, and I think he'd be very formidable against Obama鈥�

鈥淚 happen to think I would be a better candidate than Mitt, but that's, I mean, we are, after all, competing here,鈥� Gingrich continued. 鈥淏ut I'm not going to say anything negative about him. I think he's a terrific person.鈥�

Gingrich鈥檚 tactic of going against type may be a smart move. He鈥檚 leading in polls nationally and in most early nominating states. There are many reasons for Gingrich to be surging 鈥� the collapse of other rivals, his comfort in discussing policy issues on the debate stage, his knowledge of the ins and outs of Washington, his journey from two failed marriages to an apparently happy personal life. But likeability has always been an issue for Gingrich, and by heaping praise on his competitors, he鈥檚 softening the edges.

Not that his inner pugilist is always in check. He lets the fighter in him come out in attacks on debate moderators: That鈥檚 a dumb question! Not enough time to respond! He鈥檚 playing to the GOP base, which shares no love for the mainstream media.

Gingrich is, in short, following the GOP鈥檚 鈥�11^th 聽Commandment,鈥� popularized by Ronald Reagan in the '60s: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

Other candidates, meanwhile, are forgetting they ever heard that maxim and are going at Gingrich with guns blazing. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who鈥檚 also making a strong play for the crucial first contest in Iowa, has gone up with the first attack ad of the cycle, targeting Gingrich. And Romney, who has stayed above the fray, has also signaled that he鈥檚 going to start taking on Gingrich more directly.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to make sure that the differences in our experience and our perspective and our views on issues are well-aired and people can make a choice,鈥� Romney said Tuesday evening on Fox.

Romney continued:聽聽鈥淪peaker Gingrich is a friend, I respect him, but we have very different life experiences and if the American people believe that what we need is someone who spent the last 40 years or so in Washington, D.C., working as an insider, why he鈥檚 the right guy.鈥�