Willful ignorance: pride in and propagation thereof

From a purely etymological perspective, I understand that "conservatives" want to maintain the health-insurance status quo. Yeah - if I were reaping big bucks from the current system, I wouldn't want to change it either.
So, yes: I fully comprehend Big Health's and Big Insurance's desire to kill reform.

But why do average citizens accept this point of view? What's in it for them? They're getting screwed by Big Health & Big Insurance. They'd benefit from the 'public option'. Lots of 'em are benefitting NOW from govt-provided health-insurance in the form of Medicare and Medicaid.

The conservative 'average citizen' seems to take an unfathomable pride in willful, deliberate ignorance.
-Earth?
6000 years old.
(Q: 'Were you there at the creation?'
A: "No! - but I know somebody who was, and He wrote it down!")

-Global-warming?
"Scientific" mumbo-jumbo - and we all know scientists are evil - just watch "Them!" (giant ants created by A-bomb fallout)

-Govt-sponsored health insurance?
Just another liberal trick to euthanize grandma!
(... and force your daughter to get an abortion!!!)

-Socialism? AUGGHHH!!!!! - evil, bad, dastardly, diabolical.
'But what about Medicare?' - "Medicare isn't a govt program!"
... one of Reagan's economic advisers - Laffer [he of the 'Laffer curve'... labeled by George H.W. Bush as 'voodoo ecomonics'] - actually implied this!... recently!)

Why are these folks so willing to believe that Obama is the Anti-Christ, determined to euthanize all non-productive citizens?

Why is government protection from the ravages of unchecked, unbridled capitalism evil?

Again: I can understand Big Health & Big Insurance wanting folks to believe these things... but why are conservative citizens so willing to suspend disbelief and swallow the propaganda???
["Drinking the Kool-Aid" is the expression that comes to mind... and more than just a bit apt: in swallowing the pill, "drinking the Kool-Aid", these just plain average folks are committing suicide - and they don't even know it!]

It baffles me.