I see this topic every so often on Free Republic, and I cannot figure why. Why do you want the notoriously corrupt legislature of South Carolina (e.g., Operation Lost Trust with 28 legislators arrested for corruption) to choose the senators for the state? It would certainly guarantee an officeholder like Senator Graham a permanent seat, since he could easily do enough logrolling to ensure that he could permanently retain the seat.
The history of the senate prior to direct election by the citizens certainly doesn't lead me to think that repealing the 17th Amendment would be a good idea. Of all of the constitutional reforms introduced in that short span of years, it's the only one that I think is an unqualified success.
Having the senators responsible to the legislatures instead of the RNC would be an improvement...especially if they were subject to an immediate recall when the Senator gets as far out of line as Graham has.
Corrupt legislatures vs. people voting on feeeeeeeeeeelinnnnnnnnnngs. Six of one, half dozen of the other, but at least the states would have representation, in principle, if the 17th were repealed.