It's a lesson which contradicts traditional religion and as such is willfully ignored as a matter of religious pride.

They're not stupid. They can read the same reports and data as you.

But they're religious. When faced with choosing data based policy and religious based policy, their reelection chances and their personal convictions lead them to religious based policy.

It's like the saying "you can't logic someone out of an idea that they didn't logic themselves into"

If you think you can 'teach' a religious politician why data refutes their beliefs, you're in for a very bad time.