The Las Vegas bureau chief at the L.A. Times, Ashley Powers, last week covered a Reno gun show at which Angle made the rounds and interacted with supporters. She observed that Angle seemed at ease and in her element:
In traditionally low-turnout midterm elections, rallying the base is key and, on this afternoon, Angle exuded a comfort level unseen since her primary victory. In her entire political career, Angle has never needed to appeal to a statewide general electorate. Judging by her warm demeanor and lack of entourage, the gun show felt familiar.
A petite grandmother with a reddish bob, Angle worked the Reno convention center in a blue-green pantsuit and open-toed heels. No firearm was visible. The crowd was overwhelmingly friendly, and the scene far removed from the Washington Beltway.
Her husband, Ted, was a few paces behind, doing his duty:
Angle laughed, her husband trailing behind her with a stack of donation envelopes.
In answer to supporter concerns and questions about how she will beat Reid, Angle referenced her television ads:
Angle reassured them that her campaign was running its own TV ads hammering Reid on the dismal economy. “We’re going after him more,” she vowed.
Powers’ piece repeatedly referenced Angle’s “polite smile” in response to supporter (and reporter) questions she did not wish to answer. Angle’s new campaign team is surely to credit for her newly cultivated habit of flashing wordless smiles rather than off-the-cuff quips that quickly turn into unhelpful headlines.