the problem also exists on the opposite end. when there is a real way to give the chain to the people, the people often do not show up to vote (or even set a representative to vote for them!)
overall i think it will not hurt ethereum (simply because its marketcap is 5-10x most other cyptos)...people will go back and put their money back into it either way, though the demographic to put said money back in will vary based on the decision to be made. I always prefer the community has a voice, but man it doesn't look like ethereum has any way to deal with that.