The Saskatchewan Party has dropped one candidate while another was forced to apologize after revelations of past misconduct and social media posts came to light..Daryl Cooper, the acclaimed Sask Party candidate in Saskatoon-Eastview, was forced to resign after an October 2 article in the leftist Press Progress criticized his social media posts. One made May 13 included speculation on the cause(s) of the pandemic. He expressed found fascination with historic connections between pandemics and periods of high sunspot activity..He also ‘liked’ two tweets that endorsed Qanon, a person or group that posts on 8chan. Qanon has received a large following as many believe it is coordinated by people with Q-level security clearance who serve President Trump. Others such as CNN have condemned it as a dangerous conspiracy theory..When Trump was asked about the Qanon movement, he said, “I have heard that it is gaining in popularity” and “I’ve heard these are people that love our country.” A reporter challenged the President saying that Qanon followers believed Trump was “secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals.”.To this Trump replied, “Well, I haven’t heard that, but is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? . . . If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it. I’m willing to put myself out there. And we are, actually, we’re saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country.”.President Trump embraced his Georgia candidate for the House of Representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene, despite her support of Qanon. He called her a “future Republican Star” and “a real WINNER!” in a tweet..Premier Scott Moe called the content “concerning.” On Cooper’s COVID-19 speculation, Moe said, “He has acknowledged that this is a theory, that it’s not scientific or credible. I would agree with that. I have not seen the post myself, but I would agree, given the information I have, that it is not scientific or credible.”.Saskatchewan Party communications director Jim Billington released a statement on Saturday that said the “content and views” that Cooper “interacted with on social media” were “concerning” and “not representative of the values of the Saskatchewan Party.”.Cooper resigned October 3. The next day, the party appointed Chris Guérette as its candidate, the CEO of the Saskatoon and Region’s Home Builders’ Association..Regina Rosemont candidate Alex Nau was taken to task for by political commentator Tammy Roberts for things he once did at the annual Craven Country Jamboree..Nau was involved in creating a drinking game called Wheel of Fun, where options on the wheel included things like chug a beer or show your breasts. A Leader-Post article from July 2016 explained how Nau would call on women to spin the wheel after shouting at them from a trailer that displayed a blowup doll..In a statement on Sunday, Nau wrote, “A number of years ago while at Craven with friends, I was involved in an interview that referenced a ‘wheel of fun’ that included a disrespectful action.”.Billington said, “Many have made mistakes at a younger age. The Saskatchewan Party takes the position that if one has learned from their mistakes and corrected their behavior, it should not disqualify you from running for office.”.Lee Harding is the SaskatchewanCorrespondent for the Western Standard
