At what point in a diver's training should they be able to rescue their buddy (unconsious diver at depth, panicky diver at the surface)?
When they have sufficient experience to make such training a useful component of their skill set and not a means to endanger themselves. Personally I think that doesn't happen for most divers till they have amassed a fair number of dives. Certainly it varies, and divers who spend more time practicing skills will get to that point sooner than those who don't.
Do you feel that these skills should be part of the OW course? AOW? or should they wait until the diver is ready for Rescue Diver training?
They should wait until the diver is ready for the training.
I do think they should be available to the diver prior to AOW. Within the PADI system, at least, I see nothing that to me demands AOW be a pre-requisite for rescue.
How do you feel about being buddied up with a diver who can't perform a basic rescue if you get into trouble?
I've been being buddied up with such folks as a DM and instructor for a while now, so I guess I don't have an expectation that they'll have those skills. My wife is my normal buddy, and she's very conscientious about her skills so I have no worries there. Where I in an "insta-buddy" situation, I'd be talking about experience with a diver prior to entering the water, and I'd know the situation at the outset, so I would dive with that in mind.
Have you performed a rescue while diving? If so, were you trained to do so?
I've had to help students on the verge of panic, but I have no had what I would call a rescue. Yes I'm trained to do so.
And the poll doesn't have a choice that adequately reflects my view, so I left it blank. Rescue skills start in OW and are built upon through a diver's development. Smart divers who take safety seriously never stop learning more.