Replies

I see these complaints about the 17th a lot, and I'll agree there's some validity to them. But people don't remember what the reasons were for enacting the amendment in the first place. Senatorial selection was a breeding ground for corruption. In the decades after the Civil War, nine senators were brought up on charges of bribing their way into their position. State political machines, Democratic or Republican, dominated the process. At the same time, political deadlocks in some legislatures left states without a sitting senator for years on end. Delaware went four years without a senator at one point.

Direct election of senators had been proposed as early as the 1820s, and picked up support over the years. By the time the amendment was passed, 29 states had enacted some form of direct election on their own. Unless an amendment that not only repealed the 17th, but forbade the states from allowing direct election was passed, there's little reason to think much would change. People like the idea of electing their senators, and you're going to have to work hard to convince them to give up that right.