The NVA and Vietcong actually got their asses kicked in the Tet offensive. I guess political will is everything. Remember that...
A little research shows that there was tremendous disagreement in Hanoi about how to carry on the rest of the war. There were three major factions: 1) A Chinese-minded party led by Ho Chi Mihn, who wanted to keep military efforts at the fore front. 2) A Soviet-minded party, which favored negotiated settlement. 3) A moderate party who favored small amounts of each. Numerous arrests were made in the months leading up to the offensive, including members of General Giap's own staff. By the accounts I've heard, the Communists were quite surprised when they realized the Offensive had caused unrest in America.
