Obviously you automatic lovers have never faced a slick, steep downhill grade where a low crawler gear will allow you to maintain traction and steering. With an automatic, even in 4LO, you end up riding the brakes and risk becoming a sled.
I am a big fan of manual transmissions and they are good in the situation you describe, but you can pull the emergency brake to about half position or so and effectively hold the automatic back where if you start sliding a little you have to give it some gas to straighten it out, just like you would with a low (granny) gear in a manual.
