Curious you fail to mention why (again) that the 17th Amendment came to pass, that being the Senate itself only had themselves to blame by becoming hopelessly corrupt and each representing special interest groups, requiring but a small amount of energy to purchase their office. The public could not longer brook this abomination any further.
To frame the ratification of the 17th Amendment as the worst thing to happen to the Republic is ludicrous. It was expansion of the enfranchisement beyond what the Founding Fathers intended that caused the greatest harm, changing us from a “Republic” to that dangerous “Democracy.” Voting should be a privilege reserved for those individuals who have the earned the right, not just because they simply “turned 18.” Those who have served in the military, those who contribute to the society (own businesses, create jobs), those who own property, pay taxes, etc.