This excerpt of John's really is fascinating:

>>>>>>>>In the second, he was able to clarify -- and I think his clarification defines more American's views than the discussion as seems to be framed here.

His response was that he realized in the first debate that what was really being asked was not, "do you believe in evolution?", but rather, "do you believe in God?". As he was not about to answer that he didn't believe in God, he chose to answer the implication of the question.

All hell broke loose.

He realized that he didn't answer accurately -- perhaps he was overly defensive. And so in the second debate he clarified that he didn't presume to know how creation had occurred, but that he did believe it was God-directed.<<<<<<<<

I don't know if this guy McELroy is a nut. I know nothing about him. But he faced a similar dilemna: "Dr. McElroy. Do you think Texas public school teachers have all the facts right or are you some kind of goddammned Christian nut? Which is it?"

The polarization here certainly does seem unnecessary and must look quite silly to anyone distanced from it. I keep waiting for it to just go away.