In terms of the min-maxing potential, it has merit. Though even then only if the game goes long enough i.e. Space, Score, etc.
Pragmatically, I never seem to find a real use for it since I generally prioritize either Communism, Chemistry>Steel, and/or Rifling before Democracy, and all these choices come after I decide on either medieval+seige, Curis, or fast cannon as my approach to dominating the AI first.. If I managed to snag Mids I'll delay it even longer. The wonder itself is expensive if you try to build it as early as possible (like Lib>Const>Demo), even with Copper, and the return takes many turns to add up and is small so isn't really felt unless you have a lot of cities and are in Rep at the point it finishes.
TLDR version I agree with this:
I used to think it was huge back when I was a wonder whore, but as with most other wonders, i've backed off over the years. I don't go for many space games anymore either but maybe then I'd consider it more.
I'm not very good at this game, I freely admit that. But I'm learning, such as I can. As I've been slowly shedding my build-lust newbie tendencies, dropping my crutch/reliance on my favorite leader (Roosevelt, or any FIN trait leader) and embracing the true realization of war as the true path to victory, most Wonders are ignorable unless IND/you manage to start with their resource. Only Mids really merit always taking a shot at if feasible to me, even down on my lowly difficulty where I can ALWAYS snag the Oracle first and thus also Colossus. Well, and the Kremlin, but it's much later. I've learned (slowly) the hard way that things like GLH, Colossus, Stonehenge, GW, even Oracle are mostly distractions--they slow you down, ultimately, unless they are critical to the map rolled. Even other wonders that I really like --Sistine, MoM, Notre Dame -- it's mostly better to simply TAKE such things from the AI who will largely prioritize them and race you for them anyway, as Music (for the free Artist or any culture flavored AI) and Engineering (warmongers heavily favor it or any AI under war pressure) are favored techs while Calendar tends to be a quick detour since AIs like teching Math and it unlocks a wonder.
The later game wonders are no exception, with the caveat that whether you can even get them or not depends on your relative position in the game: the earlier wonders might be easier to get, as there's less disparity between opponents before major events in the game unfold: wars, expansion, diplomatic alignments, etc. Later on, you can either be so far ahead that you could do anything you want, or so far behind that your progression is locked into conquering somebody and playing catch-up, or you could remained mired in war while a powerful techer like Willem or Mansa zooms up the Lib>Demo line in order to reach Emancipation and Free Speech that you can't catch them to compete for the wonder in the first place. Etc. Etc. The complexity of the system introduces less certainty of anything.
Transitioning into either the Workshop or Town economy after whatever your mid-game war plans are takes priority over building later wonders, and which is largely dictated by things like land, tech path, whether one wants to try for Space or not, etc. Even if I got Demo fast it would be for Emancipation growing cottages, the Statue would be an afterthought and if I could build it first I probably honestly didn't need it at that point. Or such is the way i see it.
(assuming you have access to copper) being built in a strong production city of yours gives your GP farm (along with all other cities) a free specialist. 750
per turn, or +120
