Erik said some very insightful stuff about our current deletion process, but I would like to take issue with:
One master believes in rules and due process, the other believes in creative chaos and consensus
I think it is more accurate to suggest that one master believes in rules, another believes in votes, and a third believes in consensus. There actually is a lot of support, even a near consensus, behind the "due process" side of things, which is why there's always so much fuss if a sysop deletes a page in a way that isn't strictly supported by our deletion policy.
Currently we fudge the three viewpoints by essentially allowing the sysop/user taking the decision to decide on what basis to take it - "rough consensus" covers a multitude of sins. While clearly non-ideal, it's not as bad as it sounds - we're empowering those who take the decisions, and since they're the ones who get the flak, that seems kinda fair.
-- Martin "MyRedDice" Harper