Segwit requires 95% of miners to activate. Currently about 75% of hash power is controlled by a group of chinese miners/pools. This is about the % of hashing power that is missing for Segwit to activate.
Clearly, politics won't be ignored- or Segwit would be on track for activation.
Segwit never getting activated may even be a good thing. It will show everyone that Bitcoin has crystalized and can never be changed via petty human emotion. This was always Bitcoin's true selling point and we may be about to demonstrate it.
So yes, politics can and will be ignored.
But that's not politics being ignored- this is still a group of humans who couldn't come to an agreement after much politicking. That's politics being exhausted.
I do share your optimism that we have a system that can survive gridlock. It just won't fulfill much of its early promise.
They've stopped all important changes that people are asking for, so now the shoe is on the other foot.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes. The core devs will get nothing unless they compromise.