Ah, the ol' "if you don't like your state legislature, MOVE!" answer.
The same can be said to the anti-17thers. Not happy with the way your federal government is chosen? You are free to move to one of the MANY countries with an appointed upper house. The UK has such a system with hundreds of members of the House of Lords (I believe over 800 at last count) selected by career politicians to serve in that body, and the voters and public have ABSOLUTELY NO SAY in the matter. Public opinion polls overwhelmingly show that everyone there loathes the system and wants an elected upper house, but they are prevented from doing so by the Lords who want to keep their cushy appointed jobs. You are free to move there and tell them how much better than have it than us Americans with our sucky elected Senators like Mike Lee. I'm sure you can enlighten them all about how the corrupt career politicians select better Lords behind closed doors than the public ever would by electing them.
Another fun fact: Just like in the United States prior to the passage of the 17th amendment, the easiest way to be appointed to a lifetime job in the upper house of the UK is to simply bribe a bunch of powerful politicians in charge of vetting new members.
Yes, for the low, low cost of a several yearly £2 million donations to top Labour Party leaders, you too can give the great “honour” of becoming a member of the House of Lords, where they will undoubtedly select YOU because you are much wiser and more qualified than ANYONE the lowly peasants would have elected in your place, and certainly NOT because you gave them wads of cash to get the job.
And if the people DISLIKE the job you’re doing in the House of Lords (perish the thought! YOU represent the states instead of “mob rule”), then they can simply vote out the powerful gerrymandered British politician who gave you that job, even though the whole reason he appointed your corrupt butt in the first place is he’s an safe entrenched incumbent who won’t suffer any ramifications for his actions.
Ain’t appointed Upper Houses WONDERFUL?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_for_Honours