Inspiration is a call to action from the speaker to the listener. An inspiring leader is someone whose speech or actions influence others to change course: John F. Kennedy inspired millions when he said "ask not" or "pay any price." He didn't try to make his listeners feel good, but rather called on them to honor their duties. He didn't make promises to them about what he would give them, how he would save them; he insisted that they fulfill their responsibilities as citizens of the United States.
Most politicians, of course, do the opposite. The point is to get people to vote for you; that's significantly easier to do by making them feel good and promising them the world than by telling them to take care of themselves and contribute to society to the best of their ability. In 1980, however, Ronald Reagan declared that government was the problem--and it worked. Of course, he had the good sense to run against a man whose sole accomplishment was proving the Keynesians wrong by producing simultaneous high inflation and unemployment. In any case, it was real change, a revolution in how people viewed government.
Barack Obama's message is not one of change, nor is it inspiring. It makes people feel good, but that isn't the same thing. Every politician makes extravagant, improbable promises, but Barack Obama makes utopian, impossible promises. When he speaks, it's not that he isn't saying anything; it's that he isn't saying anything new. He's just saying it more eloquently than usual.
It looks as though the audacity of hoping that Americans might fall for it is what makes Barack Obama a different kind of politician.
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