Negative feedback is high, and thats being reflected in the value of these cards on the secondary market
Theres Rhys the Redeemed for an alternate two-color choice, and even Mono-color has great options like Adeline
Ive written about this elsewhere, in particular about how the tempo swing from casting Dismantling Wave is worth way more than the main phase double exile on Return to Dust these days
Golgari even sees play as a major part of Greasefang decks in Explorer and Pioneer, although those added in need white to cast the star creature
It was just another deck in the format, and was a pretty big underdog to decks with a lot of interaction (Jund, Abzan, etc.)
I love the look of surprise on people's faces when they realize "bad" cards like Steam Augury end up drawing 5 cards more often than not when you use a bit of politics