Some interesting thoughts in this thread.
You know how people say that magic is an art that should be seen live? I think that applies to Blaine's stuff, too. We see the people's reactions to his stuff, and it's big. Of course, some of that is from selective editing and the fact that there's a camera there at all, I know. But there's no way he'd be where he was if he didn't have something going for him, some kind of X Factor that magicians just aren't seeing in the specials. And I will also say that I only hear about how boring and wooden he is from magicians, not laymen. I'm sure people will be able to tell me there are laymen that think he's boring, too, but in my experience it's mostly magicians that don't like his stuff. And they are certainly entitled to their opinions.
I like the approach Blaine has to magic - to treat it like it's real. I question some of his trick choices, but I appreciate that approach. Philosophically I also approach magic the same way - I perform as if I'm doing the real deal (In many cases, I am). I feel that, at least in the US, people are craving magic that is more ... I don't know, visceral doesn't seem like the right word but it's the only one that comes to mind. They want some depth to their entertainment these days, they want to genuinely be given a reason to think there may be more to this world than what they are seeing. Blaine, I think, had a pretty big impact on getting that rolling in the laymen's minds.