This is almost too easy:

Some Democrats have been unable to face the reality that people have been voting for Republicans because they agree with them....

According to this theory, Republicans - or usually some omniscient, omnipotent and malevolent strategists, like Lee Atwater or Karl Rove - have been tricking the American people into voting against their true interests.

--David Brooks in today's New York Times

The poll underlined the extent to which Mr. Bush has succeeded in raising doubts about Mr. Kerry. In addition to the perception of Mr. Kerry as a liberal, 60 percent said that he told people what he thought they wanted to hear, rather than what he believed....

The Times/CBS News poll found indications that voters were listening to Democratic attacks against Mr. Bush, even if they had not embraced the candidate making them. Nearly half said that Mr. Bush's policies had increased the cost of the prescription drugs for the elderly, while 60 percent said that his policies had benefited the rich, compared with 8 percent who said they benefited the middle class.

In addition, nearly half said that Mr. Bush's policies were cutting the number of jobs in the United States. Sixty-five percent said that Mr. Kerry's policies favored "ordinary Americans" rather than large corporations; 59 percent said Mr. Bush's policies would protect corporations.

One-quarter of respondents said that Mr. Bush's policies had resulted in their taxes going down, while 28 percent said that they had resulted in their taxes going up. And 61 percent said Social Security benefits would be available if Mr. Kerry won; 43 percent said that about Mr. Bush.

On Iraq, Americans no longer see the war as Mr. Bush does. A majority now say the war is either a minor part of the war on terrorism or no part at all. Only 37 percent say the war in Iraq is a major part of the war on terrorism.

--Adam Nagourney and Janet Elder, a few pages back in the same edition of the Times