>> reporter: they did not grab as many congressional seats as they would have liked, but they did grab the washington establishment by the collar. >> the tea party exists because of partisan politics. >> reporter: and the tea party gave the partisans a hard shake. best pounding of the pundits. sarah palin. >> borderline lunatic. >> love her or hate her, she's definitely entertaining. >> reporter: the hockey mom gone rogue proved all the predictions of her political demise dead wrong, surging in prominence in republican and tea party circles, giving us a new book, a new word of the year, refeud yate, and even a new reality show. >> i think sarah palin would say she's not doing a reality show, she's showing you the peaks and valleys and indigenous life of alaska. and by that i mean her husband, i think. >> i think she is a brilliant