I think what OP is trying to say is that the merit of a given feature alone should determine whether it goes into the stdlib or not and author's reputation should not result in something being merged that wouldn't otherwise.
Of course it should have merit, and it does. I invoked the author's reputation in that he previously had both contributed and determined merit -- his opinion carries far more weight than any random gopher.
Well, your sentence contains the word should two times. To me, this indicates a wish that differs from reality.