I see a recurring theme in our group. Whatever is the most exciting for the GM is not necessarily the most exciting for the players. I am a huge Lovecraft fan, and so I would to have some kind of contact with Carrion Crown -- but none of the group really seems to be fans. One of our players is a huge pirate lover, but he would rather sit in on Skull and Shackles than run it; and one player loves the creatures related to the covers of Legacy of Fire and wants to play that.
We have been making compromises so far choosing games that everybody seems to like well enough,, but I really have to wonder if this is the most successful strategy. Would it be better to simply run games that are directed straight at the players? Is it more important for a GM to run a game they're in love with so the enthusiasm bleeds over? Or is compromise really the best method?
It's a tough one. AP's mean everyone is in it for the long haul I think to a certain extent it's both. The GM needs to be in to it otherwise the game will suffer as the GM becomes bored of it, and vice versa the players need to be invested in it otherwise they will become bored too and the game will fizzle out.
I see it as kind of a marketing trick, you have to sell what you want to run.
Maybe go with the theme rather than content when deciding? Ie Pirates = sea travel and swashbuckling, Jade Regent = caravans and Eastern, Carrion Crown = classic horror monster of the week etc
Ask the group the type of game they like and what appeals to them if its easier then decide on the AP that gives them and you the most then re-style it as needed ie make more of the urban, travel, or combat as needed?
Overall I would think its slightly more a GM's sway as they need to sell what they plan to run. Lets face it most of the AP's have the same type of encounters anyway so its just a different theme and flavour.
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Simon Hacker has something regarding the "GM sell".
I'm wrapping up GMing the Rise of the Runelords AP which I initially began because I really wanted to play in it, but I knew that running it would produce a group. Therefore, I played vicariously through my players.
APs are a unique thing I think. The Runelords campaign is just about done and we, as a group, have decided to move to an evolving homebrew campaign rather than play in APs because they can be linear and they tend to isolate you in one area of Golarion for awhile.
On the other hand however, my gaming group a few years ago couldn't wait for the latest AP to come out so they could play as kingdom builders/pirates/etc., so it's all up to the feel of your group.
If there are that many different interests in one group, perhaps the GM could attempt a campaign with an established setting that hits all of the themes over time (i.e. adventure takes you out into the open seas one month, into the desert in a few more months, into a Lovecraftian haunted university rife with horror the next, and so on).