My first reaction was, why is that even a question?
Do the Pauline Epistles have an especially high status in American Christian tradition (in as far as one can speak of such a thing) since you can seriously compare their importance to the Gospels?
In a ton of American Protestant traditions, strangely yes.
yup, and it's hard not to suspect it's because Paul can be read as to give your white protestant male the answer he wants to hear re: women, gays, "salvation by grace through faith", etc.
Paul was often giving advice to 'his' churches, so the Epistles read as directions on what to do and what not to do. the Gospels are more layered in their messaging and require a more careful reading.
I'd argue that Paul is more layered than one would think and a lot can be learned from careful study of him and what he was trying to do -- but conservative American protestants don't do that sort of thing. "it's right there in the text!" they scream. John Piper even let slip one time, told his students "not to worry so much about the study of 1st Century Judaism, the Bible is God's Word and you'll get what you need from the text." antiintellectualism, pure and simple, even from the supposed intellectual.
in such a culture, any scholarly, 'textual criticism' is at best besides the point, at worst demonic liberal nonsense.
Poll
