I've seen a lot of backlash against Linux
I'm not sure that it's backlash. The reality is that typical Mac and Windows users have a caricatured view of Linux and it's user base.
in the context of it not being user friendly
A perennial favorite, but rapidly diminished in effect since there are now major distributions with simple GUI installation processes, automatic updates, and ease of finding new apps to install. Gone are the days when Joe installed Ubuntu for the first time and within 15 minutes he had to Google a terminal command.
lack of proper office suite tools
This is a really bad joke. MS Office is free to use online for anyone on any kind of OS and so is Google Docs.
gaming
Steam and Wine. But, yes, anything that isn't running Windows is going to be significantly harder to do "next-gen pc gaming," on so gamers with deep pockets need nothing else but whatever Microsoft is selling currently.
all around ease-of-use
Given how non-intuitive Windows 8 was for traditional windows users and how buggy Yosemite has been, I feel the subjective claim that Ubuntu or some other large user-friendly distro is harder to use is weak.
an OS that is not meant for someone with no computer experience to grab and go
As opposed to what? Android is built on the Linux kernel by the way.
What is everyone's honest opinion on the Linux as an OS to experience when getting introduced into computers vs say Windows or Mac?
Gaming and Proprietary adobe software aside, I think it's pulling ahead of both Windows and OS X in terms of general desktop utility. Mac still doesn't have window snapping without a third party app. Windows is just now getting to multiple workspace configs. Linux has had both for years.
Do you believe Linux can become the go-to OS for everyday users as well as computer specialists?
I don't think expertise level matters much after the low threshold for familiarity. You don't have to be able to compile everything and resolve your own dependencies manually in most Linux distros, similarly you don't have to be in GUI-filled environment for a rookie if you don't want to. The strength of Linux, the kernel, is that distros come up around it and offer a variety of platforms for users with differing tastes.