"It's simply too far removed from the (object-oriented, semi-functional)
Common Lisp programming model of the last decades"
~ahem~ Common Lisp and Lisp are not equal. Well, maybe in a sense, but they're definitely not eql.
Anyway, I'm still unsure about Clojure myself (not really had the chance to dive in), but a lot of the 'unproven' ideas you mention (persistent data, STM, also lazy functions etc. etc.) have been doing the rounds in PL circles for quite a while now. It's interesting to see them taking root in lispsville, if nothing else.
I like Lisp and I like Haskell - Clojure seems to take cues (very well proven ones, I might add) from both but, like I say, I've yet to really see how well they've been married.