First, astroturfed corporate events would have denounced all of this as Socialism. How horrible THAT would have been! I can't imagine it!
Second, the Democrats would have accomplished things people could feel and appreciate in their lives, and the enthusiasm gap would have been on the other side.
When the Democrats threw out Richard Nixon and stood up for the rule of law, they won 49 House seats and 3 in the Senate. When the Republicans pretended Bill Clinton was a Socialist, they won 54 House seats and 8 in the Senate.
The Democrats can lose up to 38 seats, keep the majority, and be better off for the loss of the worst Democrats, as long as it's the worst ones that they lose. Whether they will use their committees to conduct oversight (such as by finding the nerve to subpoena BP's CEO)will be a question of some future spine implantation surgery. Whether they pass any good laws will depend on whether the Senate throws out the filibuster rule. But nothing good will happen if the best of the Democrats lose their elections.
So, here's an idea for the next few days: Help this campaign: http://kucinich.us