I think token count hasn't gained traction because of languages with syntax and types. "Surely all the boilerplate in defining a class doesn't make it more complex," goes the argument.
I prefer to turn the debate around on its head. Rather than argue complexity metrics (boring) I say I prefer languages without boilerplate because they make complexity harder to camouflage.
One can argue that boilerplate doesn't add to complexity (though I don't agree). But no one can argue that it doesn't add to code size. The studies cited in this thread show either linear or superlinear growth of bug count with code size. If those studies are correct, doesn't that rather settle the issue?
I prefer to turn the debate around on its head. Rather than argue complexity metrics (boring) I say I prefer languages without boilerplate because they make complexity harder to camouflage.