I disagree. If someone doesn't want those features built in then it would be bloat for them. Using 3rd party apps is not bloat. Bloat is built in stuff.
Built in stuff that takes extra resources. Increasing the file size of a ROM because your settings menu has more checkboxes and sub menus isn't bloat. Bloat should relate to crap that has to run in the background which consumes CPU cycles and RAM. That's what Sense and TouchWiz are. Bloat.
If you don't want to use some of the cool features in CM such as:
- Allowing delinking of notification and ringer volumes
- Quiet hours
- Multi direction unlock
- Weather widget on lock screen
- Adding AM/PM to clock
- Showing battery % and versus icon only in notification bar
- Screen brightness slider in notification bar
You can turn all of them off. But the fact that the CM team gives you the choice for these features to me is a plus. If you don't like that choice that so many Android supporters rave about, then perhaps Apple's iOS with its limited options is considered non bloat?
CM doesn't run bloated at all compared to stock AOSP. You can run it close to stock if you want. The point of CM was to address the failures of Google to include some basic features that many people need/want. They accomplished what you would need like TEN 3rd party apps or whatever which would consume RAM and have to run in the background otherwise. Good luck keeping all those running with Google's horrible memory management or HTC One X's multitasking abilities...