Europe: why don't the politicians get it?

In the wake of the recent French and Dutch votes against the proposed EU constitution, it looks like the politicians are running around wondering what went wrong, who they can blame, and what to do about it.
I sense they are missing the point.
As I see it the people voted 'No' not because they necessarily disagreed with the constitution, but simply because they have not been included in the process that has got us to where we are. They see the EU as remote, bureaucratic, and unrelated to their daily lives and concerns.
The way forward surely has to be a major shift in how our elected representatives and national governments relate to the people they govern. The key word here must be 'participation'. If governments want the support of their people, they must be open, honest and enable real participation.
The rise in popularity of things like blogging and citizen journalism is not unrelated to this. We the people simply want to be involved, engaged and consulted over stuff that affects our lives. That's not too much to ask,is it?
We are no longer content to be passive consumers of government and big media spin. If they want our trust, they need to earn it. They do this by being open, honest, and placing some trust in us.
The sooner our elected politicians wake up and smell the coffee, the sooner we can get some real progress.