If you're down to 10% of merits over what you were at before the patch, it just suggests to me that only 10 or so people actually Powerplay for Delaine.
While I appreciate the opportunities that this has created for role play and 'reasons' to play, when a few players leaving has that kind of impact on the game, there's a deeper issue.
When a handful of communists can beat off (fnar) a Fed invasion, there's a problem.
The problem is that very few people do Powerplay.
The EG Pilots, should they actually engage with Powerplay, will destroy the rest of the powers in a matter of weeks. Then what, FD?