There is no question that commercial development of themes and plugins, as well as the use of WordPress as a framework on commercial web sites, has helped promote the adoption of WordPress. With that reality in mind, all development teams, and decision making groups, for WordPress should include elected members from big and small companies, and some regular users who wish to run for election, so everyone has an open source voice from the "community," which DOES NOT just include "end users," for wordpress.org themes and plugins, but also commercial themes and plugins. The number of non-elected members should never be a majority, so that all the elected members can stop decisions they don't agree with if they unite together to "make their votes count." Until a truly community representative development and other decision making environment exists, opinion will continue to turn negative against WordPress as a whole. Negative sentiment will prime the pump for another PHP framework to take a large amount of market share away from WordPress until WordPress is forgotten. Don't think it can't, or won't happen. Make the changes now before history repeats itself. WordPress is a product, and like any company that has a product, the customers/users must have more of voice, or they will go elsewhere.

Another suggestion. Setup a place on WordPress.org that allows WordPress users to find quality commercial plugins and themes that do and don't meet wordpress.org standards. Only judge the products by quality, reliability, usability, and security, so personal bias doesn't eliminate good products. Also, don't just choose companies that "know someone" at wordpress.org, WordPress VIP, or Automattic. Choose products from companies also that are right now considered "outsiders," because they don't follow the WordPress guidelines, but still have good products, because this "outsider" attitude creates an us against them that only promotes hostility, which in turn hurts the entire community, and erodes support as a whole.

If, as Justin said, more people do not participate, then give them representatives, that truly represent them, that can vote for proposed changes. Don't just pick companies and people you know, or the circle jerk that WordCamps are now will continue to perpetuate, and cause more hostility towards those with the real power and authority. Listen to the people, or become irrelevant.