For my opinion, which I'm sure is valued (not), I've had a lot of experience with digital but am just starting my adventure in traditional media. Having said that...

1 For me the feel of real paint and real brushes has a magic feel that tablets like Wacom can't duplicate. Though I like my Intuos it's not the same feeling of accomplishment that brushes or pencils give. Maybe that's because traditional media is still new and fascinating to me.
2 I think it's important that traditional media and methods are kept alive lest (did he really say lest?) we forget and it's forgotten.