Okay folks, lets give credit where it’s due. The stopped clock is right twice a day.
‘Reaching out to moderate Taliban’ is the Afghan analog of the reaching out to moderate Sunni insurgents in Iraq that created the Awakening Movement. Splitting the Taliban by drawing off elements have become disenchanted with Al Qaeda and turning them into allies is good strategy.
And, if the plotters had killed Hitler and taken control of the Nazi government, negotiating with them would have been good strategy.
For the record, I note that Petraeus had this idea in Iraq, and has suggested trying it in Afghanistan. And that's fine. I trust Petraeus.
But I don't trust Obama. He opposed Petraeus' successful strategy, and I see no reason why Obama SHOULD be trusted.
Hence, when Petraeus suggests looking for certain men among the Taliban, fine. When Obama suggests this as a major shift in strategy, NOT FINE.