Guinivere's post contained the key information for me. Given that Denethor had had years to perfect & enrich his distrust, jealousy, pride, and covetousness, he would have had a difficult time turning over his stewardship even without the added and very potent influence of the palantir. Denethor had fallen into a rigid, conservative and decadent approach toward ruling Gondor. This is described by Gandalf in "The Last Debate":
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'Then you would have us retreat to Minas Tirith, or Dol Amroth, or to Dunharrow, and there sit like children on sand-castles when the tide is flowing?" said Imrahil. "That would be no new counsel," said Gandalf. "Have you not done this and little more in all the days of Denethor? But no! I said this would be prudent. I do not counsel prudence. . . ."
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Denethor had staked all on this approach and would have lost the city, and all else, quite quickly had not Gandalf, Imrahil, etc., come to Gondor's aid.
There is another quote revealing Denethor's mind in this matter. From "The Pyre of Denethor":
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"I would have things as they were in all the days of my life," answered Denethor, "and in the days of my longfathers before me: to be the Lord of this City in peace, and leave my chair to a son after me, who would be his own master and no wizard's pupil. But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught : neither life diminished, nor love halved, nor honour abated."
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So, add up all the above quotes, throw in the palantir, & then consider the effect of all this occurring slowly over a long time, and it seems pretty clear that Denethor would have been unable to come to terms with the fact that for all his wisdom and Numenorean sightedness,
he had turned out to be the "wizard's" pupil (Sauron's) and failed as both ruler and father. Unless . . .
I'd like to think, and this could naturally follow given what we know of the characters & Tolkien, that Faramir would have been the only possible vehicle for Denethor to redeem himself. It is touchingly ironic, since Denethor had demeaned his devoted son for so long, and even sent Faramir on a suicide mission. The only thing that could have saved Denethor was love--Faramir's love, which would certainly have been freely given to his father. Would Denethor have chosen to accept it? I'd like to think so. Denethor would have come to the breaking point, surrendered to acceptance of Faramir's love, then faded away peacefully on his regular bed, and not a firey pyre.