Again, when your points of what YOU believe will occur if the 17th is repealed run smack into the points of the actual political realities of the present, you get upset and stomp off. I have reviewed the proposals presented by your side earnestly, and I’m telling you they will do nothing to stop the present course of action in DC, but will, in fact, make things even worse. That you have this blind trust in state legislators as paragons of virtue to restore the Republic to the framers intent is appallingly naive.
Put it simply, it goes without saying I don’t trust Democrats voting for me (which I’m stuck with now at the legislative level), I also similarly don’t trust Republicans voting for me, either.
Yawn. I have history on my side. You don’t. Rather than repeat your cheap shots, get on with a comprehensive, stand alone, vanity post of how well the popularly elected Senators protect republican freedom.
So things will get worse, just because you say so? No one is stomping off - this is a good discussion - and the debate is certainly not over, as you have proclaimed.
This isn't 1913 all over again; we have 100 years of history to learn from. I don't trust anyone voting for me that isn't accountable for their decisions. Go to Wal-Mart - under direct democracy, those wonderful individuals (quite likely a great portion of whom are paying for their goods with YOUR money) are the ones selecting your senators. Are they going to care that the decisions your senators make in Washington has a negative effect on your liberties and prosperity? No - because it isn't going to directly affect them. Go ahead and raise taxes. Go ahead and send troops to Syria, Libya, and Uganda. They don't pay taxes, don't serve in the military, don't own a business, and don't ever have to wonder bow they are going to pay for their healthcare or where there next paycheck is coming from.
On the other hand, state legislators (typically) care primarily about getting elected, then about getting re-elected, then gaining and growing their political power. This is constant throughout human history. But unlike U.S. senators, state legislators LIVE with the people they represent. You regularly see them at community functions, restaurants, the store, etc. How often have you ever met your U.S. senator? Probably never, because they don't work for you or the state; they work for the federal government.
By amending the Constitution, we opened the gates of Senate corruption from a largely individual and relatively local scale to a massive national and international scale. Of course there was plenty of corruption prior to the amendment, but on a much smaller scale and removed any state representation from the federal government.
It all comes down to accountability; the indigent members of society aren't accountable for their actions, so they are free to vote for politicians that may be corrupt, but they are offering "free" stuff (that their opponents will allegedly take away) if only they are elected. Meanwhile, state legislatures are still corruptible, but are more accountable because their power and re-election chances are at stake. If irresponsible people or corruptible politicians don't have consequences for their actions, then they will go about as far as they can get away with. All we need to do is find the best path forward to fix corruption and restore the rule of law. The Founders undoubtedly had corruption and an ignorant/apathetic/destructive population in mind when they wrote and approved the Constitution.