Although ease of commute (whether by bike or car) is very important to me, I would not consider riding if I had a 30, 40, 50 mile commute. A hybrid commute would be possible for me, but given the logistics and time that would take at those distances, I know I wouldn't do it everyday.
It seems like their are more people who choose to live where they want (in the boonies) and deal with the long commute. Their home is more important than the driving. So, while I might not agree, I don't fault them.
I had a 30+ mile commute at one point when I first moved to MA. It was all highway and didn't really bother me. There is no way I would ride that, or part of it, even now.
When I started riding, I had a 6.75 mile commute. It was perfect because it was uphill in the AM, but still short, even with the climbing. I didn't really have to leave earlier than if I drove. Then I moved. My commute doubled, to 13.8 miles. The first year I was too scared to navigate one intersection and the alternate I tried was 18 miles one way; too long. Then I started riding 2 days a week at the end and beginning of the school year. It was fine. but it did require a lot of planning, since I couldn't put lights or racks on my road bike. Not everyone is up to doing that.