I think it fizzled because most people who actually travel by plane prefer the security. If you've ever traveled by plane during a period when their was danger in the air, flying could be nerve wracking. I remember during the 1991 Gulf War I got the chance to work in Lisbon, Portugal for a few weeks. My boss, an ex-Marine, discouraged me from traveling, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity. The plane was largely empty, and everyone seemed to be on edge, including the stewards. It made for a very unpleasant time (except that there was no wait at the airport on either side of the journey). To a lot of people who fly, the extra security is welcome. Those who refuse to fly or never have occasion to fly don't get it.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/24/national.opt.out.day/index.html?hpt=C1The controversy over new security measures at airport checkpoints -- which some feared would boil over Wednesday, one of the year's busiest travel days -- instead didn't even reach a simmer.
Critics had declared the day before Thanksgiving "National Opt-Out Day" and urged travelers selected to undergo full body scans to refuse to subject themselves to the advanced imaging technology.