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"You're correct, Darwin gives many rationales as to why the record is so poor."

And he was right. Fossilization only happens to a tiny tiny percentage of organisms, and it's biased against land organisms and soft tissue. It would be TRULY miraculous if we had transitionals between every species. We DO have some transitionals between species, and certainly we have MANY transitionals between higher taxa. The fossils are where they are supposed to be; we don't find Precambrian Rabbits. By itself, the fossil record is not enough to tip ToE onto the plus side. Coupled with the DNA evidence, the morphological and geographical evidence, the theory has exceedingly few holes to fill.

" And when you couple that with the discovery of DNA by Crick and Watson 50 years ago and the realization that the cell is not simply a sack of protoplasm (as was thought in Darwin's day) but a micro factory teeming with information and activity, questions and doubts will and are being raised about the validity of Darwin's claims."

Not by the scientists doing the work in those fields. Only by creationists. DNA research has clinched the theory of common descent. The ToE has no scientific challengers.

And he was right. Fossilization only happens to a tiny tiny percentage of organisms, and it's biased against land organisms and soft tissue

Yes, I'm well aware of the many rationales Darwin's defenders provide to explain away the gaps in the record. And they may seem valid to many people. But there are many others, and there numbers are growing, who disagree.

If the evolution of life can be shown to be "in fact" inherently discontinuous then Darwin is falsified.

Proponents can no longer depend on the Fossil Record to support Darwin's thesis. It undermines it.

Anyone can give a rationale as to why there are gaps. But the gaps remain. The "only if" arguments will only convince true believers. And assertions such as "he was right" are not going to cut it.

You wrote: It would be TRULY miraculous if we had transitionals between every species. We DO have some transitionals between species, and certainly we have MANY transitionals between higher taxa.

The problem you have arguing with creationists is that every time you find a fossil that fits into a gap, you just have two (smaller) gaps!

More gaps! See, evolution is being disproved! There are more gaps than ever. See, we told you so!

[Sorry, sometimes it get to be a bit much.]