Julian Assange to run for Senate

[sltttbrgr]

And his mum reckons he'll be awesome.

Quote:

"In the House of Representatives we get to choose between US lackey party number one and US lackey party number two - between the major parties.
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"So it will be great to 'Assange" the Senate for some Aussie oversight."

Queensland-born Assange, who founded the secret-leaking website WikiLeaks, announced his Senate ambition last December from Ecuador's London embassy.

He sought refuge there last June in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Mr Assange fears if he goes to Sweden to be questioned over rape allegations, authorities will allow him to be extradited to the US to be questioned over WikiLeaks' release of thousands of US diplomatic cables.

He said last year he would run as a Senate candidate under a yet-to-be-formed WikiLeaks party banner and was recruiting others to stand with him.

The election will be held on September 14.

[Pessimist]

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

[sltttbrgr]

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

Yep.
He doesn't need to be in the country for the election.
Afterwards, assuming he gets elected, he either get himself to Australia, the UK will have to arrest an Australian MP to extradite him to Sweden (Which Australia will put up with for exactly 1.2 milliseconds), or Australia gives him temporary diplomatic immunity (In which case it's directly illegal to arrest him)

American politicians have run from jail, for a pretty humorous analogue.

[Commander Sigma]

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

I don't know but it doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. confused This would just bring even more attention to himself and could further screw up his reputation if he makes even one small misstep.

[sltttbrgr]

Super Fightin Prototype

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

I don't know but it doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. confused This would just bring even more attention to himself and could further screw up his reputation if he makes even one small misstep.

It's depressing that he is the one who should watch his reputation, while the US has arrested a man and is keeping him indefinitely for leaking information the public had a right to know, and are currently doing their darndest to break international law in order to get a man in jail for a non-crime.

Public perception is a funny thing.

[Commander Sigma]

sltttbrgr

Super Fightin Prototype

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

I don't know but it doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. confused This would just bring even more attention to himself and could further screw up his reputation if he makes even one small misstep.

It's depressing that he is the one who should watch his reputation, while the US has arrested a man and is keeping him indefinitely for leaking information the public had a right to know, and are currently doing their darndest to break international law in order to get a man in jail for a non-crime. neutral

There's so many things wrong with United States of America, but unfortunately none of it will change as long as the people in power are corrupt.

[Pessimist]

sltttbrgr

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

Yep.
He doesn't need to be in the country for the election.
Afterwards, assuming he gets elected, he either get himself to Australia, the UK will have to arrest an Australian MP to extradite him to Sweden (Which Australia will put up with for exactly 1.2 milliseconds), or Australia gives him temporary diplomatic immunity (In which case it's directly illegal to arrest him)

American politicians have run from jail, for a pretty humorous analogue.

Coming from a US perspective, it doesn't seem like someone could really campaign for himself if he's not in the country. But I don't know how anything about Aussie politics. I hate US politics enough.

Super Fightin Prototype

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

I don't know but it doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. confused This would just bring even more attention to himself and could further screw up his reputation if he makes even one small misstep.

It really doesn't seem like a good idea. Just trying to hold a campaign over the fact that he ran Wikileaks isn't a great strategy.

[riadse96]

Your able to run for U.S. senate when you are living in England? sweatdrop

Well something tells me he isn't going to be anywhere near the FBI or CIA even if he could make it to the senate. rolleyes

[sltttbrgr]

riadse96

Your able to run for U.S. senate when you are living in England? sweatdrop

Well something tells me he isn't going to be anywhere near the FBI or CIA even if he could make it to the senate. rolleyes

Yes, but he's running for the Australian senate.

[x-Garethp-x]

Pessimist

sltttbrgr

Pessimist

o_O Can he do that if he's on the run from being extradited?

Yep.
He doesn't need to be in the country for the election.
Afterwards, assuming he gets elected, he either get himself to Australia, the UK will have to arrest an Australian MP to extradite him to Sweden (Which Australia will put up with for exactly 1.2 milliseconds), or Australia gives him temporary diplomatic immunity (In which case it's directly illegal to arrest him)

American politicians have run from jail, for a pretty humorous analogue.

Coming from a US perspective, it doesn't seem like someone could really campaign for himself if he's not in the country. But I don't know how anything about Aussie politics. I hate US politics enough.

We don't campaign as much in Australia. We run some TV ads, some radio ads, there may or may not be a debate that people may or may not bother to watch, and you'll see some signs on the side of the road. Australia is a rather apolitical country, with both of our Government basically being liberal. We vote for the people we feel are good blokes, and the ones that aren't good blokes are the ones that have passed bills we like. Our MP's don't have huge billion dollar campaign trails or anything

[King Shining Heaven]

He can't do that, can he? Isn't he any Australian? Moreover, isn't he on the run from the law? Nobody is going to elect him

[sltttbrgr]

Queen Shining Heaven

He can't do that, can he? Isn't he any Australian? Moreover, isn't he on the run from the law? Nobody is going to elect him

He's running for the Australian senate.
That being said American representatives have been elected both on the run from the law, and in jail.

I do hope he gets elected though, as it'd be neat with a principled man in office somewhere in the world.

[Pessimist]

x-Garethp-x

We don't campaign as much in Australia. We run some TV ads, some radio ads, there may or may not be a debate that people may or may not bother to watch, and you'll see some signs on the side of the road. Australia is a rather apolitical country, with both of our Government basically being liberal. We vote for the people we feel are good blokes, and the ones that aren't good blokes are the ones that have passed bills we like. Our MP's don't have huge billion dollar campaign trails or anything

Then how do politicians get their name out? In Assange's case, he's pretty much notable for running Wikileaks and getting in trouble with the law. I'm sure if I asked most of the people walking down my street, most of them wouldn't know who he was and, in theory, wouldn't have much of a reason to vote for him over whoever else is running.

[x-Garethp-x]

Pessimist

x-Garethp-x

We don't campaign as much in Australia. We run some TV ads, some radio ads, there may or may not be a debate that people may or may not bother to watch, and you'll see some signs on the side of the road. Australia is a rather apolitical country, with both of our Government basically being liberal. We vote for the people we feel are good blokes, and the ones that aren't good blokes are the ones that have passed bills we like. Our MP's don't have huge billion dollar campaign trails or anything

Then how do politicians get their name out? In Assange's case, he's pretty much notable for running Wikileaks and getting in trouble with the law. I'm sure if I asked most of the people walking down my street, most of them wouldn't know who he was and, in theory, wouldn't have much of a reason to vote for him over whoever else is running.

Newspapers, TV ads. I'm a bit iffy on our system over here myself, but I don't think we vote for our MP's, I think the party chooses them themselves. Don't quote me on that, it's been years since I learned how our system works