Let's face it, when we first saw Siuan she was awe inspiring. She was the personification of the ultimate Aes Sedai, and the most powerful person in the world before the arrival of Rand al Thor.

What struck me as totally counter productive and unbelievable, was how Siuan almost instantly lost all the respect of the Aes Sedai once she arrived in Salidar, post stilling.

I compare this to a situation where Abraham Lincoln suddenly appears in front of the US congress, having miraculously been revived from a 150 year magical stasis, only to be scoffed at and treated with disdain by the members of Congress.[/quote]
This is a ridiculous analogy. Siuan entering Salidar was not legendary politician whose mistakes have been erased by history and whose legacy is set in popular imagination.
Her mistakes were very much alive in the minds of these people.

More critically, a lot of the loss of respect is because Siuan can no longer channel. It is stupid, but makes complete sense given the mentality of the Aes Sedai. It was totally unsurprising and within character.

Well, she did have such a personality, but exercising it to the fullest extent needed her to have her channeling, her strength compared to other AS as well as her office.
She couldn't walk in a gentled refugee and start showing that she can still take command. That was the whole point of calling the chapter "The Practice of Diffidence".