I think sometimes people assume the ‘smokey back rooms’ control everything but frankly, they are also just part of the herd. They aren’t going to strike out on their own. They may attempt to control things early, but they don’t go against the herd because power comes in mass.
That hardly matters when they've already rigged the system to the extent that one way or another they're going to get someone who will keep the game going just as it is.