The Republican party is the party of ignorance.

The GOP debate was painful to watch as the candidates showed their necrophilia toward Ronald Reagan and dodged every important question asked of them. There was so much flip flopping on that stage you would have thought you were watching dying salmon on a fishing boat in the Bering Straight.

And just when I thought I had seen the candidates at their worst, Chris Matthews asked these supposedly educated men about evolution.

But one of the strangest moments of the night came when the candidates were asked about evolution. The question was put directly to McCain, who answered with a simple "yes" before adding, "I believe in evolution. But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also."

Then all of the candidates were asked to indicate which of them DO NOT believe in evolution. Huckabee, Brownback and Tancredo each raised a hand. But that was it -- the debate moved on -- no follow up question and no chance for the candidates to qualify their answers or not.

You know I have convinced myself that George Bush is an anomaly and that it is impossible for any other college educated, sophisticated candidate for President to truly not accept the concept of evolution. But either I am incorrect in that assumption, or those pathetic losers on that stage were willing to appear ignorant on national television to garner the possible support of the most uneducated voters in this country.

In other words, they were playing to the simpletons.