its not so much a case of being idiots, but of being able to make an informed decision. Maybe once elections were a reliable way to get good people into positions, but the slickness of modern spin doctors has changed that. You only have to look at the quality of politicians across the board to see this deterioration.
I would back the board members to have a much better idea of who is best for the job that than most of the members, because they work with them and have an insight most of us will never have. The people who make these decisions are still able to be held to account by the voting members, so they can be removed if board members are looking after their own interests rather than the club's.