“There are official, different levels of smichah as well, “shul rabbi” being the lowest.”
I assume that you are referring to — what is given in some Yeshivas — known as “rav u manhig” smicha. In YU — that doesnt exist. So — all the Rabbonim who come out are the same with respect to the semicha– although there is an extra smeicha — from the YU website — “Semikha Yadin Yadin, an advanced ordination that qualifies rabbis as poskim in Even HaEzer and Choshen Mishpat, is offered through an intensive postgraduate study program following traditional ordination.” But — the “rav umanhig” doesnt exist. Most rabbis, i think, do not have Yadin Yadin.
That being said — as with all things, doctors, lawyers, professional football players — there are better, there are worse. With all those things (except maybe professional football players) — it is not so easy to really know who is good and who is bad. (Obviously, if a Doctor is literally killing people — you may have a clue. But bad outcomes are not necessarily an indicator). This actually cuts to my “Gadol” issue. I have no problem with someone being acknoweldged as a “Gadol”. Rav Moshe. The Lubavitcher Rebbe. I dont think that i have any basis upon which to make that call — other than they were both widely accepted (albeit — there was still room for disagreement as to each of their rulings). My problem comes from when people say you must do “x” because the “Gedolim say…” This was my point with my anecdote above. These are “Gedolim” whom i didnt elect, who dont know me, probably have not come to my community, may not speak my language (literally and figureativelY), and dont know my hopes and dreams. (Okay…a little melodramatic). They may be geniuses and brilliant poskim and great people — but when they say that I cant go to YU or i must grow peyot/beard or that the IDF is “treif” — then they are obviously not speaking to me. (Of course, i may be wrong in all my “hashkafot” — maybe — but still they are not speaking to me. Rav Moshe and the Lubavitcher Rebbe were known to be able to connect with people throughout the Orthodox spectrum.)