The Tea Party movement is better-known for its alignment with libertarian, anti-Washington sentiment than for its ties to social conservatism. But in an effort to build as broad a coalition as possible in her effort to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle is checking all the boxes.
Over the weekend, Angle participated in an interview with Ralph Reed, the longtime conservative activist, founder of the Christian Coalition, and the man once deemed the "right hand of god" by Time Magazine. And in the course of answering a question about her rise from relative obscurity, the Nevada Republican made a rather bold declaration. Her path to victory, she said, was God's plan.
"How do you explain all this? You're now a national story, are you kind of overwhelmed by it all?" asked Reed.
"I believe that God has been in this from the beginning and because of that when he has a plan and a purpose for your life and you fit into that, what he calls you to he always equipped you for," Angle replied.
Angle has a far more public religious streak than other notable Tea Party candidates. She is devoutly pro-life, arguing against abortion in cases of rape and incest because "God has a plan." And she has argued in the past that: "the tenet of the separation of church and state is an unconstitutional doctrine."
But this appears to be the first time she's discussed the celestial imprint on her Senate candidacy. Here's the interview with Reed, posted on his Faith & Freedom Coalition website:
Below is the full transcript:
Ralph Reed: Sharron, you really came, maybe not out of nowhere but the back of the pack to win the Republican primary here in Nevada. There is a new poll out this week that shows you leading Harry Reid by 7 or 8 points. How do you explain all this? Your now a national story, are you kind of overwhelmed by it all?
Angle: Not really. I believe that God has been in this from the beginning and because of that when he has a plan and a purpose for your life and you fit into that, what he calls you to he always equipped you for.
Reed: And this is obviously going to be a tough campaign, Harry Reid is not known for playing softball. How are you going to deal with the attacks? What do you feel about how you're going to get your message out?
Angle: Well the message is really that Harry Reid has really failed. He has failed the country and he has failed Nevada through stimulus, bailout, Obamacare. And what we have here in Nevada now is 14% unemployment the highest in the nation, the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, the highest bankruptcy rate in the nation. And truly the message is really about we need to go in a different direction because people are concerned about their jobs and their homes. How do they stay in their homes, how do they keep their jobs, and that is the real message.
Reed: And if somebody wants to help you, contribute, or in some way volunteer, and help spread the message, how do they get a hold of that?
Angle: Well thank you so much for that. We know that everyone can't vote but they certainly can help us. Harry Reid says he need $25 million, I need $25 from a million people. They can go to SharronAngle.com, that's S-H-A-R-R-O-N-A-N-G-L-E.com. SharronAngle.com.
Reed: SharronAngle.com, Sharron, thanks so much being with us.
Angle: Thank you Ralph.
UPDATE: Greg Sargent jumps on another Angle-related nugget, in which she insisted that the Tea Party ousted Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett because he "outlived his usefulness."