Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a favorite of the Tea Party, likened the populist movement to the 1950s horror movie "The Blob" on Friday.
He pointed out that the conservative groundswell has distinct characteristics around the United States.
"When you look at the Tea Party it's much like Steve McQueen's movie 'The Blob,' they're kind of different from each state to each state," West said on CNN's "Starting Point."
West used the analogy to explain why Tea Party support has not coalesced around one of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates in the early GOP contests.
"There's an energy that will show up and there really is no centralized organizational structure to it, so each organization in its respective state or even north Florida down to south Florida can differ," added West.
The Florida congressman said that because of the decentralized nature of the Tea Party, the presidential hopefuls have to appeal to various constituencies around the country to gain traction among the movement's supporters.
West also weighed in on the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., where he will be speaking to the crowds of conservative enthusiasts Friday, telling CNN that it is a "great opportunity" for the candidates to get their political messages across to voters.
Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich will also address the conference on Friday. Ron Paul will not participate.
