If you had to...

[FouCapitan]

I voted Crono.

What?  We already know how to get him back afterwards.  It's no biggie.

[ONSLAUGHT]

Things that sell well.
Sex
Asskicking
Simple
A blend of dim and bright
Bloody

Ayla fits most of that(just not the last one). No one's sexist against Ayla at all! She's pimped out!

Ayla is also the character doing the worst in this poll. I think the facts do not support your opinion. Also--and very significantly--from among the people who have bothered to write about their choice in a post, Ayla consistently draws the most criticism, apathy, and disdain.

People are jealous of her goods.

But, Ayla mainly since that was toward the start of the poll before anyone took into account the whole plot driven thing V brought up. Ayla just doesn't quite as much for her character is what it is. If that's a fault on anybody's part, creators since they added less things for Ayla. The least backstory(not to mention story altogether). Her character keeps changing with design(club to fist WTF) and she's the only one who has no special story for herself. It makes sense for her to be in last when you consider no one had thought of plot driven yet.

And when you take the plot driver into account, Crono and Marle make the most sense. Crono just doesn't have quite as many votes for 2 reasons.
A.) He's the main character.
B.) People already dealt with him dying so it couldn't be found as quite as interesting as one of the other party members dying(which sounds kinda gruesome).

Marle fits the ticket.

As for the others, not really as many votes. People either don't see any reason for the loss of Lucca, Frog, or Robo, or they just get a lot of love.
Magus, i don't know. There isn't any plot driving and he's got everything I mentioned Ayla lacking and more. So why he suddenly is gaining a huge amount of votes is beyond me.

[Kage]

I am with the majority on this one I would get rid of Ayla.

I realized its not so much as I dislike her character I just wouldn't be able to get rid of any of the others.
I also enjoyed the era she lived in the least out of any of them in the game.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Ayla had the least baggage and issues to deal with (besides Crono), so I think that players have the most trouble relating to her.

Crono is the silent protagonist, and more than any of the other Trigger characters the player personifies him or herself as Crono.  Crono is that extension that allows the player to immerse themselves into the game.

Frog has the whole heartrenching heroism, death of a best friend, finding acceptance of the past, finding inner strength storyline(s) to grasp hold of.

Lucca has the "science vs. faith", "my mom is paralyzed and I couldn't save her," and "machines can be used for good or evil" concepts.

Marle has the daddy issues.

Magus has the dysfunctional family, only one person loves me, etc.

Robo had the whole "machine vs humanity" and "what it takes to be alive" to deal with.

Ayla didn't have as much.  Her scenario dealt moreso with surviving.

[placidchap]

Crono is the silent protagonist, and more than any of the other Trigger characters the player personifies him or herself as Crono.  Crono is that extension that allows the player to immerse themselves into the game.

Tssh, hardly.  Everytime there is a silent protagonist, I think to myself "talk, you fucking emo bitch!"  Silence does not immerse me.  having well thought dialog options what immerses me in a game, as i can define how I want to be and see the reactions.

[ONSLAUGHT]

All in all, I feel Ayla is troubling for relating to the audience cause everyone has at least one bad thing in their life. And sure, she DID have the Reptites, but like all her other problems she handled that easily. Generally humans are jealous whether we realize it or not and so when we see someone who has everything, most of the time we don't like that. Ayla has everything going for her. The only problem she had was the Reptites, but that was solved. All the other problems in the game happen too far off in the future to effect her at all so she's good no matter what!

Not only did I mean it in a joking manner but in a serious manner too...

People are jealous of her goods.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Tssh, hardly.  Everytime there is a silent protagonist, I think to myself "talk, you fucking emo bitch!"  Silence does not immerse me.  having well thought dialog options what immerses me in a game, as i can define how I want to be and see the reactions.

I actually agree with you, here...  However, that is the reason for it and I understand it, although, like you, I would rather see it the world through a specific characters already derived worldview.