Frank Luntz, a Republican consultant who has advised Mr. Gingrich on and off for 15 years, said Mr. Gingrich was “more powerful than the entire Republican National Committee.”

“He has a better e-mail list, he has better ideas, he’s a better communicator and he’s more in touch with what people think,” Mr. Luntz said…

He said he was respectful of the Tea Party movement, which he said would “force change,” and that he shared many of its beliefs — in transparency, limited government and distrust of both parties (Mr. Gingrich did periodically criticize the Bush administration).

But Mr. Gingrich also said he had seen this movie before — both in Ross Perot’s independent campaigns for president in 1992 and 1996, and his own so-called revolution.

“We did a Boston Tea Party event in ’94,” he said. “Some of these things come back full cycle. I feel some days like we’re back at the same vaudeville act.”