Let me say that the planes left are definitely not the ones I would have chosen. However, you are throwing some hard to prove ideas out there. How do you know that the majority is clueless? Further, how do the remaining choices indicate a disinterest in combat? I can imagine both contenders in combat situations. Can't you? 
Wow!!! Lets everyone take this personally!
First off anything over 51% is the majority, so that leave lots of room for people that still have a clue. No I really don't see much chance of combat with the choices left. You know as well as I that it's going to come down to the A26 or the B29. With either all we are going to see more dive bombing in buffs. Granted the A26 should excell at that, but fight??? Nope auger/bail rinse and repeat.
You might have had a point...if there had been any fighter in that list with a profile and name recognition as high as the B-29 or invader. In other words, a P-47 or a Mustang or a Spitfire.
Not something relatively obscure like a Ki-43 or a YaK-3
Now that I hear some of you screaming... yes, I'm serious. How often do you think has the average young American subscriber has heard about the glorious B-29, and how often about the Ki-43?
(Another thing... since when is fighting defined as flying fighters only?)
5-7 years ago you wouldn't have seen anything but fighters on that list. Back then that was what the game was about. We had a couple of buffs and mission did very well with them. Now all you see is people grabbing the biggest bomb load they can to dive bomb single GVs
What about people like me who like to fly buffs most of the time and don't do the whole dogfighting thing? I voted for aircraft that I intend to fly and none of those aircraft are fighters. Just because I don't vote or fly fighters doesn't mean I don't have a clue.
Believe it or not I fly bombers to enjoy the fights I get into with attacking fighters. I could care less about bombing things nowadays as I've been doing it for 10 years. An example: Last month I found myself facing Grizz and Kappa doubling teaming my B17's in Me262's. The battle went on for a good 5 minutes and in the end I lost but I gave both of them black eyes and smoked their engines. That fight is what I live for in Aces High, that is my dogfight.
I'm guessing you'd be one of those in the 49% that does have a clue. I too like to fly buffs now and then. When there are no good fights going on I'll fill the time with a buff run or two. I'm not saying everyone "but a select few" are idiots, but we are inundated with kids playing a "game" and by game they have to play to an "endgame", in this case win the war, and they will do that any way they can. Now we are going to give them a bomber that carries MORE bombs and flys FASTER. This game had ALWAYS been about combat, and everything else was to be used as vehicles to that end. They might as well give each contry one tactical nuke to blow up those last 7 or 8 bases so they can "win da waz!"
So most of those that play AH are just ignorant fools, while you and a select few are "enlightened" about what we need in the game?
Maybe HTC should have just consulted you personally, so the hangars could be filled with planes that only see the light of day a few times a year in the SEA.
Out of those eight in the poll, the B-29 and A-26 would (IMO) see the most useage and the B-29 is the only one besides the Beau that I would fly regularly. I voted for the B-29. Twice. We have many fighters to choose from in game, yet most fighter sorties are in 51Ds, Spits and F4Us. How often would we see a He111 or Ki-43 in the mains?
HTC put the B-29 in the poll. Are they clueless for offering it up to a vote? The majority of "clueless" pilots - the ones you hold in such low regard - would rather have something they will actually fly.
To be honest with ya, I think Skuzzy put the B29 in the list so that it gets added. With out all the B29 threads on the boards and ensuing arguments that come from them He'll be able to cut back the time he spends monitoring the boards and have time for more important things like solitaire
