[Anguirel]

However, I don't see why we shouldn't argue the question anyway, poll or no poll-it interests me.

The Sindar don't seem to have been as keen on formal Kings as the Noldor, preferring to be all, broadly speaking, under Thingol's protection. Elu has it right when he says "Sinda ruler".

I will list those who, in my opinion, qualify.

Thingol
Dior (sort of thing)
Elwing (sort of thing)
Celeborn
Cirdan
Eol (debatable)
Amdir
Amroth
Oropher
Thranduil
Legolas (just about)

Of these, Thingol is much the greatest as well as the first, but I don't have quite as high an opinion of him as I used to. His power does rely to quite some extent on Melian's.

Dior and Elwing...do they count? Don't like either particularly, really.

Celeborn was a reliable and extremely long-lasting ruler. He's sort of the Gil-Galad of the contest-not all that dramatic, but you'd feel safest living under his rule.

Cirdan is a similar sort. He provided a haven, but not really a standard. I never pictured him as possessing military prowess, which Celeborn certainly did.

Amroth seems to have undoubtedly lacked a vocation for kingship...

As for the wild Mirkwood crowd-Silvan though they might have become culturally, they didn't forget their roots. Thranduil's Mirkwood is a truer heir to Thingol's Doriath than Celeborn's Lorien. Thranduil kept a beleaguered kingdom together in the face of the Shadow, and deserves a good deal of credit for that.

Legolas had it pretty easy, what with peace on earth and goodwill spread all over the place.

To go back a tad earlier...Eol? He maintained his isolated woody knoll well, I suppose. His swords were impressive, his fathering less so. Can we call him a ruler?