It's not false. You're confusing stated preferences vs. revealed preferences. People might say they want to enshrine their legal right to abortion or that they don't want people to get tax breaks for investing in depressed areas, but they don't do anything that would actually make those preferences a reality (i.e. elect candidates based on those issue who will enact the policies people say they want). So when it comes down to it, people do not actually want those things enough to take the actions necessary to make them happen.