Public perceptions aren’t even close to reality — by a 52% to 19% margin, for example, likely voters think their federal tax burden has gone up over the last couple of years, even though it hasn’t. Indeed, Democrats approved one of the largest middle-class tax cuts in American history, and the public has no idea that it even happened.

“I’ve long considered one of President Obama’s better qualities is his reluctance to talk down to voters. But it’s possible his assumptions about maturity and the public discourse are simply too generous — leaders can’t assume the electorate has the wisdom to ignore nonsense when the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming.”