I must admit, I'm with
kudra on this one.
I often search for answers to problems I'm experiencing, and that search often leads me to old nodes. If I find something that I think is insightful and/or particularly good, then I will vote ++ for it.
I see your point about being able to see the results of the voting and agree that it would be useful if you are trying to gauge the 'importance' of a node, but I think withdrawing the ability to vote on that node will just remove the ability for a monk to show his appreciation to the author.
As you suggest I think that the 'greatness' of the node can be gauged by the comments attached to it and the reader, whether a newbie or not, should be able to judge for themselves.