My point is to highlight the awkward reality that is government secret keeping. Governments must keep secrets, even from their own citizens.
Of course I agree with this. But those secrets should not be to protect it from electorial scrutiny by its own people. The people have a right to know what they're voting for. If governments are fighting wars without regard for the rules of war, if governments are torturing their enemies, these are not the kind of secrets that should be kept.

Of course there's a balancing act. People like Assange play a crucial role in this. If there are people like him who have the ability to obtain and publish state secrets, then governments have to be careful what they do. That's a good thing. Without people like Assange, the state can do what it likes. That isn't a good thing.

But like I said, this is more than the fate of one man, this is an attack on honest journalism. If Assange is defeated, which looks likely, then the free press is dead. That's a terrible outcome and strengthens secretive states. It's one step closer to an Orwellian future.