I'm shocked by the lack of credible information available on outcome of a total reactor core meltdown.
I don't know if its because no one knows, if the information is just not getting out, or no one wants to believe the assurances of the engineers and scientists that built these things. One would think, after all these years, that the human race would build these power plants in such a way that massive contamination would be physically impossible. But perhaps economics outweighs safety of design.
The reason is just as you said it. Irrational fear, phobia. No amount of reason can overcome it. Even if the worst happens, it isn't the end of the world. Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing didn't end the world. Besides, this is also a very very rare event.
It is physically impossible to make something 100% safe as everyone would like. There is always something else that could go wrong that isn't in the design. It's not so much economics as it is practicality that stops the design and begins the building.
Every now and then something entirely unprecedetented comes along, as this event has done, that will give us more information to put into the future designs and retrofit older designs where feasible. The future for nuclear power will be safer still.
Now is not the time to run away from nuclear power, there is too much energy available to ignore it. I'll take nuclear power over middle east thug oil any day.