If you are using $rootScope, which I personally think a service is the better practice, you will need to use ng-click and point it to a function that references the clicked object:
<li ng-repeat="object in objects">
<a ng-click="viewObject(object)">View</a>
</li>
function TheCtrl($location){
$scope.objects = [
{ id: 1, data: 'the data', path:'/path/to/this/object'},
{ id: 2, data: 'more data', path: '/path/to/this/object'}
]
$scope.viewObject(object){
$rootScope.currentObject = object;
$location.path(object.path);