“…….:But, if you think anyone holds a candle to, say, Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s knowledge, well, I’ll say it politely, you are way, way off base…..”
I’m not commenting on R’Kanievsky who’s a great rav , but in a more general way.
Your argument , which implies utter deference to who’s greater in Torah knowledge , and I’ve noticed it’s a yeshivish argument also, is not necessarily a good one.
Yehoshua was chosen by Hashem not because he was the greatest scholar in that Dor Hamidmar… Quite contrary, there were bigger talmidei chachomim than he. The final psak in a machlokes in Chazal is not necessarily determined by the greatness of a Maan D’omer’s knowledge, as you well know.
Some of the malachei Yisroel were extraordinary talmidei chachomim.
“…..You have no inkling of the extent of their knowledge. …”
Same applies to you, unless you fahrhedt them…. They also have your side’s mareh mekomot, psukim. midrashim, pshetlach, psiktas , yet may interpret them differently .
“…..don’t think that you will somehow convince the Chareidi tzibbur to abandon the opinions of those rabbanim whom they recognize as authentic da’as Torah. ….”
Translation : As opposed to the rabbanim with whom you disagree , as IN-authentic Daas Torah.
Just to keep in mind that the Meraglim were such great gedolim, that both Yehoshua ( by Moshe himself) & Calev ( davened at Mearat Hamachpeila) needed special blessings not to be swayed by them because they had awesome, ingenius, Torah knowledge…. which went horribly wrong.
Your comment was a polite but thinly veiled condescension…” Carrying weight” as you put it, is not necessarily a measure of anything except numbers.