Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

[Patrick W]

Patrick W <patrickw106 at yahoo.com.au> writes:

> What I find hard to understand is why anybody finds s-expressions a
> conceptual challenge.  If I hadn't seen evidence to the contrary, I'd
> believe that anyone who can't grok s-expressions in a day is just too
> stupid to program *anything*. 

In case this is taken for arrogance, rather than genuine befuddlement,
I'd like to emphasise that I *have* seen evidence to the contrary.  A
small minority of very intelligent people don't seem to get Lisp.  My
main point is that, for most people who make a genuine attempt to
learn it, Lisp's syntax is anything but difficult.