One would like to believe they know they're being used. Sure, some will know it. Most, however, will not. They will vote like they've been conditioned to vote, regardless of the available data that screams at them to vote differently. And then they will blame someone else for the result.
It takes guts to evaluate facts and data and change one's beliefs when those facts and data support the opposite of what is believed. Most people don't have the guts to do that.
That's a depressing reality.