I think it boils down to quality spread (i.e. the E-2 and COD world are noticing a declining trend in the quality they're getting at the RAG and they want to change it back to the old way). One of their main arguments is the lower historical DQ rates at the boat from the legacy selectees and the deduction that although it wasn't T-45/jet flight time, the T-44 training coming before the jet obviously had some benefit since those DQ rates were significantly lower than they are currently. Would it also be cheaper? Yes.
It's hard to find anyone in the VAW/VRC community who had it down as their first choice out of primary. It wasn't mine. (I requested P-3s, E-2/C-2, J2, J1). Only 1 P-3 spot that week, he had a 58, I had a 55. The Navy gave me my second choice. Tough to complain about that. We showed up to VT-31, enjoyed it because it was easier than primary and the T-44 was pretty simple to fly. Anyone who was still pissed off about primary selection had at least 3 months in Corpus to drink away their sorrows. Then we went to Kingsville. No one was that pissed off anymore; you knew pretty much all of the other E-2/C-2 guys, and you enjoyed your time because you were just a little bit saltier, knew a little bit more about how to play the game, and were just happy to be in a laid-back place that actually seemed to place emphasis on being a good dude and a good stick. You entered the tailhook world, got your wings, and were on top of the world.
Then you went to Norfolk and got kicked in the jimmy. Topic for a different thread.
Personally, I noticed a different attitude amongst the guys showing up in the community who were Tailhook vice Legacy E-2/C-2. Not always as strong in the airplane and behind the ship, maybe a bit of a chip on their shoulder because they hadn't gotten jets, it was tough to nail down exactly but it was definitely different. Didn't apply 100% of the time, but more often than not it did.
Is it a bad deal for some of the kids who will get drafted E-2/C-2 out of primary? Sure, but at least now they know it was a pure objective decision based on not much besides luck, timing, and needs of the Navy. That's better, I think, than some kid getting quality spread drafted that way after finishing the Tailhook Intermediate syllabus.
Bottom line, every community needs strong players. You'll grow where you're planted, quality spread or not. Hopefully, people will look back and talk about the 7 year blip when the Navy tried to change things up, only to decide that it didn't need changing in the first place. History repeats itself. Again.