Too bad the writer didn't feel compelled to write a piece about Keyes' opponents support for infanticide, a slightly more pressing issue.
How does it make him look bad? That was the way Senators were selected from the time the Constitution was adopted until the populist "reforms" of almost a century ago. The whole point of federalism was that the electorate picked the members of the House, the state legislators picked the Senate, and the Electoral College picked the President. There is absolutely nothing wrong about putting things back the way they were originally supposed to work.
The media will report it like this: "this elitist Republican believes that politicians should choose your senator for you." It isn't hard to imagine.
They certainly won't present the history behind the issue, or the theory behind the issue.