Can the fractious elements of the party—including tea party fanatics, fiscal hawks and the religious right—come together behind a single candidate?

The Republican field of presidential candidates that took the stage at the high-tech CNN debate on Monday spanned the party’s ideological spectrum. But can the fractious elements of the party—including tea party fanatics, fiscal hawks and the religious right—come together behind a single candidate? On this week’s episode of The Breakdown, The Nation‘s Washington editor Christopher Hayes talks to Slate political reporter Dave Weigel about the state of the conservative coalition.

Further Reading: More on this week’s guest, Dave Weigel. Liveblog of the CNN debate with video clips. Rasmussen poll on the GOP field.

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