[Numenorean]

Good points Kuru & Indy.
Kuru, you claim that:
"They were not yet reduced to such straits that they would welcome the rule of a man who amounted to little more than an outlander, who had the appearance of trying to use his claim to the throne of Gondor to save his own skin."
To say Arvedui was only trying to save his own skin seems harsh and generally unbefitting of the House of Elendil to me. His claim was legitimate, justifiable and strong, through both his noble bloodline and via marriage to Gondors very own Princess Firiel. Arvedui must have been viewed by most Gondorians as alot more than a mere 'outlander', but most Gondorians did not have the power to elect anyway, I thought that was left to an elite ruling caste of soldiers and politicians?
Remember Castamir the Usurpers bloody civil war was mainly due to an insular and elitist body within the council of Gondor that refused to accept a non-Gondorian Queen.
When Indy said:
”Tolkien states that no other descendant of his had the strength to claim kingship over Gondor, until Aragorn.”
This indicates that far from being weak and unworthy, Arvedui was more mentally and physically capable of the Re-united Kingship than any who followed, except of course Aragorn.
As for his (subjective) arrogance, does confidence not seem like arrogance to those who have neither? If Arvedui was so high-handed with the Snowmen, why did he then more than repay their kindness with a priceless heirloom like the Ring of Barahir, it would surely have been just as easy to give them trinkets, coins or less.
I just feel its about time someone stood in Arveduis corner ;-)