Fantasies old and new Gene Lyons The first great rule followed by all American politicians and most journalists is to flatter the people about how smart and savvy they are. The reality, of course, is that much of the electorate is so poorly informed that it’s a wonder our political system works as well as it does, which many think is hardly at all. Last week, CNN released a poll showing that 86 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. government is “broken.” I admit my first reaction was to wonder subversively, “How would they know?” A contemporaneous Pew survey...