President Obama, breaking his well-considered silence on the Republican presidential debates, made a point on Sunday of criticizing the view held by some candidates that waterboarding isn’t torture.

“Waterboarding is torture,” he said. “It’s contrary to America’s traditions. It’s contrary to our ideals. That’s not who we are. That’s not how we operate. We don’t need it in order to prosecute the war on terrorism. And we did the right thing by ending that practice.”

At least on that point the President’s in-office position is consistent with his campaign position. It is amusing, though, that he makes waterboarding the issue on which he chooses to hang the nation’s worldwide reputation.

Can he really believe that young, would-be jihadis considering their career options would happily overlook drone attacks on their friends, covert special forces operations inside sovereign nations, and the never-ending internment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, but be driven to take up arms against the United States upon hearing that we reserve the right to waterboard prisoners in extreme circumstances?

This President sends drones to kill terrorists, including American citizens, but thinks it beyond the pale to pretend to drown one. We are with him on the former, but not on the latter.