The polls are in and as expected, the people, if not the elites, support Cameron:

58% of people think Cameron was right to use the veto, compared to 21% who think he was wrong. Tory voters overwhelmingly back him (87% to 3%), Lib Dem voters by 47% to 36%, Labour voters are evenly split (38% to 39%).  

51% of people think that using the veto has decreased British influence in Europe. 63% of people think that the outcome of the summit leaves Britain isolated from other EU countries… however, most of those saying this (35% to 28%) think that this is a *good* thing.

Looking forwards, 44% of people think the veto makes it more likely that Britain will leave the European Union (5% less likely, 33% no difference), however this is still not seen as likely. 61% think Britain will probably still be a member of the EU in 10 years time, 23% think Britain probably won’t. Asked how they would vote in a referendum on EU membership, 43% would vote to leave, 36% would vote to remain a member. 

 

The grand Euro drama is but another skirmish in the long war waged by European elites to shove continental unification down their people's unwilling throats. Moreover, every development that demonstrates that the reasonableness of the public skepticism is met with ruthless legalisms designed to ensure that public will get no opportunity to express its disdain. The fierce opposition to the Greek referendum lay naked yet again the anti-democratic character of the EU and, most specifically, the Euro project. The British know they are unlikely to get a chance to express an opinion on the matter and are grateful to Cameron for standing up for their rights as well as for their interests.  He vetoed a treaty change (constitutional amendment) designed to reduce national sovereignty and forced its replacement with "a multilateral compact" with about as much validity as a Congressional agreement.  In fact, Cameron's veto helped Merkel as it made it easier for hesitant countries to accept "the compact."

The elites routinely blame the people for short sightedness but so far history is on the side of the nay sayers. I remember the disdain with which my colleagues at the Nobel institute treated their "know nothing" countrymen's vote against joining the EU. They, too, argued that the result would leave Norway isolated within Europe and would hurt the country's long term economic prospects. I am not sure they'd admit they were wrong but I doubt whether the would vote to join the EU and the Euro today.

No, democratic majorities are not always right. After all, they threw caution to the wind and elected an inexperienced sweet talker for president during very dangerous times. Still, they are right more often than wrong and since Barack Obama and his elite supporters share the European elite's determination to use bureaucratic methods to undermine the power of the vote, his reelection would undermine American democracy in the same manner that the EU has undermined the European one.