Messengers are not divine beings, so the Dalai Lama is no more likely to shoot lightning bolts than the Pope. Besides, the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations are not steps in an evolution towards ultimate power; they are more like driving a car until it falls apart, then getting a new car. It’s just the same being changing the way they get around after the old way they used to get around breaks down.
As for why he isn’t teased the way other’s are, I don’t know of anybody killing in the name of the Dalai Lama. (In fact, he has said, “Really, killing people in the name of religion is unthinkable, very sad.”) He is not pretentious, nor are his followers overbearing the way those who follow other “reborn” leaders have a reputation of being. In short, he just hasn’t made people mad at him. In fact, just about everybody aside from the Chinese government loves him.