No, it's the Republicans who are to blame. The Democratic leadership is to blame for not putting up a candidate or policies that the voters wanted.
It's always amazing to me that people will blame the people who couldn't stomach to vote for the Democrats, rather than getting mad at the Democratic leadership for being so awful that people can't stomach to vote for them.
This isn't trying to discourage people from voting, it's trying to send a warning: "If you keep putting in terrible candidates and running on terrible policies, you are going to keep getting shitty turnouts"