Buttons don't give all power, but they do give power. You'd be surprised how much damage a few well-placed nobles could do to SA (or any other organization), if they were willing to accept the backlash, thanks to buttons.
You spoke as if rulers could just, alone, dictate whatever they will, and replace people at will. Most rulers come to power with the dukes already picked and not about to step down. And when dukeships free themselves, many of these are up to elections of some kind or another and not direct arbitrary appointment.
Ruler+council = powerful. But Ruler-council = impotent.
The ruler's main asset is that the position is a passive ally magnet.
Why rule from the foreground as ruler when you can rule from the background as a lower non-council position anyway? The Ruler's buttons don't even mean much anyway. Much better to just have the ruler be a puppet of yours and control the entire council by putting friends in office in return for favors (or just for power itself). hehe...
