No, Sasse has it right. Right now Senators sell out their state and trade votes with Senators whose district is a thousand miles away. Better to have them beholden to their local governments. Even if they are liberal, they have less power if the 17th was repealed. Lobbyists would have a much more difficult time.
Folks that have these notions that with repeal of the 17th that the Senate would somehow stop being corrupt and would elect people worthy to be portrayed on Mount Rushmore (or Mount Olympus) ignore the realities of today’s politics.