Top Five Reasons Obama Fails to Inspire

The media coverage for Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.) has been overwhelmingly positive from the moment he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. It's been so glowing, in fact, that it's hard to tell how much of his message of hope is real and how much has just been manufactured by doting reporters.

That's all very nice. But I hate buying into the superficial coverage of this candidate. So, I've decided to submit the top five reasons Obama fails to inspire me.

1. The Politics of Hope

Following the release of his bestseller, The Audacity of Hope, Obama carefully chose hope as the theme for his presidential campaign. His often speaks of a dream of uniting America's political divide.

While this is a laudable goal, it may also be an unattainable one. You need two to tango. The Republicans happen to have a particular strength that Democrats lack: unity. Despite the Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006, Republicans have frustrated almost every policy initiative proposed by the Democrats.

Obama has suggested that the divisiveness in Washington stems from the struggle of the 1960s. This is naïve. Aside from times of national crisis when Americans come together, politics has always been a divisive affair. Why would that change?

I don't believe the Republicans will embrace Obama; rather, they might eat him alive. Obama merely has to ask John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter about dealing with Republicans.