I might hesitate to say that I'm emotionally attached to 24fps. I have used new mediums to consume entertainment (the first time I saw good 3D, first time I saw HDTV, etc) and quickly adopted them without issue. For me, it's not a question of nostalgia for 24fps but rather a specific distaste for 48fps - because I associate it with soap operas and low budget daytime television.
I think you probably hit on a great counter-argument with the mention of HDTV. I don't know anyone who was anti HDTV when it came out, everyone thought that it was simply better or at worst a pointless addition. So when lelandbatey talks about the emotional connection to 24fps that was created by all the emotional moments that one has seen in that format, I'm not sure it actually holds up. If that was the case, why aren't we emotionally connected to SDTV in the same way?
You're right about that. There are changes that are welcomed and others that aren't and It's not always clear why. Personally, I view the 48 fps change similarly to the change to HD: It seems like a straight upgrade to me. I thought the 48 fps in the Hobbit looked quite good, and it changed my experience for the better. I should have made a more nuanced point that emotional association is one of many factors that affect why we do or do not like certain things. However, I posted this at about midnight, just before going to sleep, so it's not the most well written.