Perhaps we consider ourselves smarter because we don't believe:
Health care is socialism.
Death panels exist.
Obama wants to kill grandma.
Obama is a socialist/fascist/communist/Muslim/ non-citizen
The government will make your health care decisions.
We went to Iraq to punish them for 9/11.
Torture is a reasonable method for extracting information.
School health clinics will be "sex clinics."
Obama speaking to children is propaganda.
Caring for your neighbors and community is communism.
All of the above have been offered on the floor of Congress.