From the maps I have seen showing who controls what, it is a crazy patchwork quilt rather than a few simple, easily definable areas that are internally homogeneous supporting one faction or another. In addition, Syria is the size of Washington state - which might easily be split into liberal western Washington state and more rural, more conservative eastern Washington state.
There were complaints that the US and Russia should not be negotiating a ceasefire, but that the Syrian regime and the rebels should - and what likely really destroyed the agreement is that Russia actually joined the regime in violating it and the US could not get the rebels to trust us enough to actually take what would have been very difficult steps to sever ties with Al Nusra. As long as they thought that Al Nusra was more helpful in defeating Assad than the US would be, many of them chose Al Nusra. As Kerry said, Al Nusra was AQ and it would be crazy to support it.
What this shows is that as horrendous as the situation is, both the rebels (including Al Nusra) and Assad both think that a military solution could give them more than a political solution would. Only when BOTH realize that they are destroying what they are fighting over and that they would be better off not dying in the hopes of being the winner who will take all will ANY diplomatic/political solution - which could include partitions - be possible.
The main thing Kerry worked so hard to create was a ceasefire that would create the political space to move forward.
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