They're false saviors, propped up and offered to us by the people in power, as a control mechanism.

The primary control mechanism is the false left/right political dichotomy. It gives people the illusion of choice, of resistance, but in a carefully curated Overton window which is entirely controlled by the people in power. Over time, people will wake up to the illusion, and wander off the plantation. When these lost sheep get big enough, they have the power to stay things, and will often form their own political parties (like Occupy Wallstreet, the Tea Party, the Libertarian party). These parties, if not subverted at the very outset, become subverted through infiltration, moving the party back into the frame of the Overton window, neutering it, preventing the people within it from effectually resisting.

The lost sheep are also offered false saviors, who speak like the lost sheep, to capture their support, but over time will move the lost sheep back toward the Overton window.

There are clear indicators if a person is genuine, and if they're worthy of trust and loyalty from us lost sheep. We have to be wise and discerning to figure out who is who, so we don't waste our time or support. That, and we must openly and loudly reject the false saviors, to warn others, and potential, genuine leaders must rise and offer their services, of their own volition, because we desperately need them. Leaders act as condensation points and rallying points, where the individual members may be hopeless, the collectivization provides power and voice.