Where's the Strategy, Obama?

There is ample reason for concern from the Right over the Obama Drone War.  It seems that this tactic may be simply another campaign advertisement, which would make it grossly immoral in addition to other downsides.

...a scheme was hatched to use an increased number of Predator strikes to kill selected members of al Qaeda. This had several immediate advantages. First, it was cheaper than using troops. Second, there was no political downside to losing a predator. Third, there were no new prisoners to send to Guantanamo.

Of course, short-run tactical advantages are not necessarily consonant with long-run strategic objectives--if there are any long-run strategic objectives in the first place.

...My opposition to this program is because it isn’t wedded to any strategic vision on how to make us safer and it is having the effect of alienating nominal allies, turning against us people we need as allies or neutrals, and depriving us of intelligence on the capabilities and intentions of our enemies....

How one "alienates nominal allies" and 'turns people against us' is simple:

 ...the drone strikes is Pakistan may have killed as many as 800 innocent people. Pakistan’s very weak government is facing a lot of pressure to stop the strikes altogether. In fact, our CIA station chief may be indicted for murder in Pakistan...

"Collateral damage" on that scale is not consonant with long-term objectives.  Worse:

...We are captured by the intelligence services of countries such as Pakistan and Yemen to provide the underlying information, information that we simply cannot verify, that results in a death warrant being issued...

Romney will have to make a decision about this very quickly.  It should be based on a strategy other than political gains.