The problem is not with the Wes' original decision but with the fact that it was never revisited even when pandas took off at much larger scope. Should had been fixed before 1.0 release.
It’s far easier to criticize than it is to submit a pull request.
I personally don't mind the lack of one-size-fits-all. If Pandas were to be part of the Python Standard Library I think you'd have a stronger argument, since the unspoken premise of a SL is that you can leave for a desert island with only that and your IDE and still get things done.