History
Anyone with the IQ of a potted fern knows exactly what Petraeus means by the time frame. The Democrats squealed for years for a "change of direction." One was delivered, in spades, including changes in command and tactics from Rumsfeld on down.
The Democrats began to attempt to sabotage it from DAY ONE.
At this point, every bit of pretense was stripped from the motivations of the Democrats. Everyone knows the only thing they meant by "change of direction" was "defeat." The only people still kidding themselves are leftists, and not so many of those any more.