a hard fork only happens AFTER consensus is reached.
Maybe yes maybe not.
If Classic gets 50% of users, and they decide to still roll out the hardfork, just to prove their point, that would be very bad. And I can imagine them doing that.
But then again what is consensus? If 90% of miners agree, but then later they backstab eachother?
They will fight and bitcoin splits.It will stabilize at 50-50%, that is the equilibrium state.
So the only way bitcoin will win is to not fight.
Any amount of fighting will only destabilize bitcoin.