Alt coins are and will remain a play thing. These are decided by the people who matter, and the people who matter aren't either the derps vying for the spotlight "doing" altcoins nor the derps vying for the spotlight "doing" foundations, conferences, articles and assorted bullshit.
I think you underestimate the alt-coins. If most people got burnt on MtGox they don't mind switch over to an alt-coin, they got nothing to lose.
Ripple is the best alt-coin right now since it's based on other assets than itself (the users add the intrinsic value).
but that is true of Mastercoin, too. Plus, Mastercoin is REALLY decentralized (not controlled by some Ripple Labs, Inc. holding the 'commodity' used in the system and, at the same time, being some totally un-decentralized and un-peer-to-peerish CENTRAL POINT OF FAILURE, if not authority, too)...
So taking your argument a step further, wouldn't Mastercoin also qualify as "best" then (or even "better-than-best")?
Just curious.