What do you mean, "they". I would guess creationists are not a monolithic block. I've personally encountered both total evolution deniers & contortionist compromises such as those you cite...
Point taken. I wondered if I was speaking too broadly, but I did a google search and picked the page that sounded most reasonable to me. Not exactly a way to get a representative point of view, but I'd rather have an argument than pointing and staring.
The contorting is a common strategy, at least in mainstream religious creationism -- precisely because, as you (Ogged) point out, it'd be hard to deny that selection happens. I've even heard people say that microevolution happens but macroevolution doesn't.
I find it useful to point out to creationists that evolution is separate from the origin of life, as scientists think about it. Science is pretty tentative regarding origin theories, and it's a clever tactic for creationists to try to shift the debate there.
I now live in Oklahoma,+your basic Creationism is alive+well here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!