Man I like your screen name. Last summer I stopped at a garage sale here in our town, and these two codgers were arguing about the biggest mistake in US history. As I browsed I listened. Before I left I walked up to them and told them they were both wrong. It was the 17th amendment. They looked at each other and at me and back at each other and at me and back at each other and then finally back at me gears grinding the whole time. The one almost right (Said allowing women to vote) said you win our argument. You are right, and then started explaining why to the other one. I went on my merry way.
Look who's talking! Pretty good one yourself.
Anyway, yeah, the direct election of Senators was the beginning of the shift of power from the people and states to the major parties. I guess in theory, they thought if people could vote directly for their Senator, that they would have more control. But that six year term negates that power. The people can be ignored for five years. And when the two parties started handing out all those perks, the people have been largely forgotten except during election years.