It was up to the politicians to inform the people, surely? Why, after the people voted to leave, did the politicians then vote for Article 50? Di they not understand what they were voting for?
But they did: on the side of a bus, and micro-targetting on FB, with Bannon, Banks, Breitbart and Russian bots lending a helping hand.
The Remain campaign appears to have been fact-based as opposed to appealing to tabloidesque emotional reactions. It was also quite probably far too complacent in assuming it would be defeated.
Re the second point, I'm not sure of what would have happened. An automatic no-deal?
Did they all realise that it was advisory only, despite that phrase on a publicity leaflet? Corbyn wanted out (until he was strung to the ceiling to support a people's vote). Conservatives include the right-wing ERG lot.
The "soft Brexiters" or even Remainers may have had no idea that the UK could end up 30 or so days away from train hurtling towards a cliff face.