I know that a lot of the fans of the show on the fan web sites have not accepted Ray/LF, but do we really know how many new fans he might have brought to the show? It's obviously not as many as WP took with him, but still.
I think GE will probably stay with the show forever, at least he has said so in the interviews I've read, and his fans will stay around; so it would be logical to make him the lead. But I'm not sure that will bring in new viewers. Marg has hinted at leaving for the last several years, so that's probably 50/50. They do need to find ways to bring in new viewers as some of the old are bound to leave sometime.
I think people who have been with any show a long time become more invested in the characters than the show itself. Most of our discussions here are about the characters, their screentime, their storylines. It's fine to point out why you started watching a show, but the real question is, why do you continue watching, and what does the next generation of viewers want to see? While I haven't liked all the changes they have made, I think the showrunners are trying to attract new viewers, as well as keep the old. I'm not sure they have found the right balance yet, but I personally think the show has gotten better this season.