Next to the 16th Amendment, the 17th was the worst amendment. The direct election of Senators defeats the whole original purpose of the Senate, which was to have the State Legislatures elect the Senators so that the Senators could represent the States and not the mob. Now we have a Senate filled with people who could care less about what their States want. People like McCain and Flake who actively work against the interests of their own states because they are elected by being able to buy advertising on daytime TV to convince the uneducated masses that they will bring them goodies from Washington.
The Framers were smarter than you, my FRiend.
We’ve had this discussion endlessly. Repeal would result in an even disastrous situation and you’d never get another Conservative Senator again. The Democrat states would send Communists (and you’d immediately put 40 seats permanently under their control) and the Republican states would send establishment turds. Even Texas would’ve sent the likes of DewCrist and Karl Rove (the latter as a thank you to Dubya). Their legislature can’t even dump their RINO House Speaker and you think they’d send Ted Cruz to DC ?
As for states’ interests, that disappeared early in the 19th century and that won’t come back with repeal. All you’d do is empower the corrupt political interests who’d bypass the people, and that corruption would extend all the way down like tentacles from Washington to your local State Representative. To that idea, I say: “No Way !”
So, do you think they were smart to MAKE THE CONSTITUTION AMENDABLE so we could make changes if needed? Cause they did.
They were smarter than you.
Oh BTW, you know Jesse Helms? He never would have been a Senator under your plan cause the rats only recently lost control of the North Carolina legislature.
Honestly, you people. Think. Putting more power into the hands of politicians? Seriously? Jesus.
Politicians are scum, your state legislator is no more likely to have your “state’s interests” at heart than your Congressman. What matters is are they a non-corrupt conservative Republican or not, that’s all that matters. That is the only distinguishing feature. If they are they do, if they are a democrat or RINO then THEY DON’T.
You know who virtually the entire Republican membership of the Texas legislature thought should be a Senator? Why the boss of the State Senate RINO David Dewhurst. Thank goodness the people had other ideas. Can you say cronyism?
You’d have a small handful of state legislative leaders making the choices. No sale.