I think you might be giving the Brexit supporters too much credit. They’re a right-wing movement, and like all such movements are driven by anti-intellectualism. This was a massive failure of leadership by Cameron and the Tories first and foremost, and the blame lies squarely there, regardless of other contributing factors. Cameron put a problem up for a referendum that requires a level of analysis and research far beyond the capacity of most voters, and the Brexiters appealed to lingering misplaced resentment and heaps of sophistry. There was no way to win by argument any more than you’ll persuade a serious Trump supporter because they’re aren’t coming from a place where facts or reason matter. It was something that should never ever have been put up to a referendum in the first place and the opponents of Brexit were put in a nightmare scenario of trying to explain a complex policy proposition to a bunch anti-intellectuals who just wanted to lash out at the powers that be, while supporters were in a much stronger position of being able to lie, appeal to base emotions, and fan the flames of anger.
