People downvote for various reasons, and there really isn't a lot of agreement on a good criterion. Some downvote only "harmful" comments, some downvote for disagreement. I'm guessing you're in the first camp, but given that pg has ok'd the second option as well, I doubt downvoting for disagreement is going away any time soon.
Speaking only for myself, I don't often see substantive comments which are downvoted into oblivion: at worst, they hang out at -1 or -2 until someone notices them and upvotes. Most good comments eventually recover; mediocre ones might stay at barely-downvoted. ( I see substantive comments go [dead] because the user's been hellbanned, but that's different.)
Maybe the solution is just to not start graying text until -2 or -3? Then one or two early downvotes would have less effect.
Speaking only for myself, I don't often see substantive comments which are downvoted into oblivion: at worst, they hang out at -1 or -2 until someone notices them and upvotes. Most good comments eventually recover; mediocre ones might stay at barely-downvoted. ( I see substantive comments go [dead] because the user's been hellbanned, but that's different.)
Maybe the solution is just to not start graying text until -2 or -3? Then one or two early downvotes would have less effect.