Paul Gosar nominates Biggs as the QOP alternative
With Gosar showing his hand it appears there will be more than the original 5 voting for Biggs. Gosar was not one named as part of that group. I wonder how many votes Biggs will attract.
looking over the audience it appears that a lot of people brought their kids. Just my humble opinion, but If you want to instill in you children an appreciation for the wonders of our system of government this is probably not the hearing to take them to. 
Boebert just voted for Jordan? And someone else just voted for Banks? Neither of whom were nominated?
This is a clusterfuck.
Boebert votes for Jim Jordan. Who was the other wild card vote for? I missed it.
Voting for random people doesn’t actually change the math, right? McCarthy needs a majority of votes cast.
Perhaps it’s all just performative and the hard-right crowd will vote Present on the second or third ballot?
Another vote for Banks. WTF?
That could give the Speakership to Jeffries.
Oh yeah… that doesn’t work. Unless it’s a very precise number, right? Like 2 of them? I forget the exact math (perhaps it’s up-thread, sorry).
What a disaster for the GOP, especially considering Trump has strongly endorsed McCarthy.
ETA: Either McCarthy is going to fall far short or Biggs may not even get the most non-McCarthy GOP votes. Jordan and Banks each have a few.
The math just left McCarthy in the dust for the first vote.
Another vote for Jordan from Rep. Cloud(?).
mccarthy is out of maths!
jordan?!? seriously?!?
I read someplace that if enough Republicans vote “present,” it could hand the speakership to Hakeem Jeffries. Matt Gaetz apparently doesn’t care–he’d rather have Jeffries than McCarthy.
I suppose the Democrats could make a deal with McCarthy, voting present in exchange for some concessions, but I don’t know if I’d do it–I wouldn’t trust McCarthy.
Womp Womp… guess we’re going to the 2nd ballot (at least).
Didn’t Jordan pretty explicitly say he doesn’t want the job? What is the fucking point of blowing up your own caucus by voting against the wishes of all of your party leadership and the de facto leader of your party (Trump).
Talking head on MSNBC said the opposition Pubs have a surprise nominee in the second round that they’re planning on rallying around. Any ideas?
Trump!
No seriously I have no idea. Scalise is the only other name I’ve heard mooted - but that doesn’t seem like a big improvement for the far-right crowd.
ETA: It would be hilarious though (Trump that is). Although Scalise back-stabbing McCarthy would be juicy too.
Supposedly they want McCarthy to give them more concessions (ie, weakening the role of Speaker). They could have voted Present, but enough of those could give the Speakership to Jefferies. So voting for someone who doesn’t want it is basically a Present that preserves a second ballot.
According to the Washington Post:
Voting “present” removes yourself from the pool and the winner is the person who has greater than 50% of the pool. If (for example) the Democrats simply vote “Jeffries”, across the board, and the Republicans in the Problem Solvers Caucus all vote “present” then that could drop the total number of Republicans in the pool to a small enough percentage that Jeffries is elected.
It doesn’t seem implausible.
remember there is an announcement asking if any member wants to change a vote before the gavel ends the vote.