Leslie Cannold: the woman who makes Assange palatable

As the days progressed, the comments on Twitter about Assange and rape-culture would not go away, but Cannold did not flinch. Instead, she announced that she agreed 100% with the following statement about the rape allegations "as do all the many, strong feminist women in the WikiLeaks Party":

"We recognise that Assange has been alleged to have assaulted two women. These allegations should be taken seriously, because we as a community must make sure that all activists within the community are safe….Assange is entitled to an assumption of innocence (regarding the allegations), and the women concerned are also entitled to an assumption of innocence (regarding claims that they have lied)."

And then Cannold Tweeted that she would write and publish her own article on the subject, which she has done (Guardian.co.uk, July 29) "Why I'm Running For Senate with WikiLeaks Alongside Julian Assange."

Here she argues that: "My view is that I wasn't bedside when the events that have given rise to the allegations against Assange took place. No one was, except him and the women involved. This means that I don't know what happened, and neither does anyone else. Because none of us knows what happened, no one has grounds to judge him or the two women as either guilty or innocent. Such judgments are for the courts."

However, a year ago, Cannold revealed in a piece on ABC Religion and Ethics that "some of the commentary around the Assange case is both illogical and contradicted by the evidence. Just because Assange is an admirable public figure doesn't mean he necessarily behaves morally in public life."

Still, Cannold optimistically writes that she wants to bring "the WikiLeaks disinfectant of transparency and accountability to the Australian Senate."

The question remains as to whether voters will opt for the disinfectant or be repelled by Assange. One thing is certain - once Prime Minister Rudd finally calls the election date, Assange's rape allegations will be dragged front and centre. Politics is after all, pig wrestling.

No amount of comments, by Cannold or others, on the complexity of human behavior and the grey areas that we inhabit in relationships, will stop that tide. Despite this, having Cannold as his running mate makes Assange palatable, and for many, worthy of a second look.