Yeah it does feel really weird. Like same-sex marriage vote was a unanimous yes, and Labor's wins in both the Federal and State elections weren't landslides but they were better than majority thought. I understand that this one lost because there was so much misinformation, but it just feels so weird that it lost by a lot. So far only one state/territory has got a majority Yes. Victoria is always a pretty safe Progressive seat as of late, and while the inner electorates are mostly Yes and the regional electorates being No. It still feels weird that it's a majority No here.

it just seemed so easy for fear and disinformation to win.

This is not surprising. Answers are not complicated because humans are not really that complicated.

We have an aging population and it's a fact that as people age they feel fear, fear because they are physically weaker than when they were young, they also feel they don't fully understand society anymore and may be confused by all the changes. It's far too easy to appeal to the past , when old people felt stronger, and say the past was better etc etc

Better change will come when the population demographics changes , as the older boomers pass on. The younger people will act out of compassion, courage and a positive belief in the future again

But please remember the boomers also voted in Whitlam, not all are conservatives

(unless of course you do have the answer in which case all hail Seagoon_ I look forward to you long reign :) )