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"You could forget about any decent Senators being elected because RINOS and democrats would team up to elect RINOs in every GOP-controlled state. Talk about an “open primary”!!!!!!! Alaska RINOs have teamed with rats to control the State House there, can you say “Senator for Life Lisa Murkowski”?"

Are not State Representatives elected by the people? Tell me what is harder to overcome: Kicking out your State Representative who corrupts the process with your next vote by those who pay attention...

or

Kicking out special interests groups with well funded propaganda campaigns (FROM OTHER STATES), the Party apparatus (FROM OTHER STATES), the media picking favorites (WITH SEEMINGLY UNLIMITED FUNDS), ignorant voters (WITHIN YOUR STATE)? The current system is a lot easier to corrupt by focusing on one or two Senators, rather than 100's of Reps in State Legislatures that evil tries to tempt.

By the way, Madison's point II on the Senate was this:

It is equally unnecessary to dilate on the appointment of senators by the State legislatures. Among the various modes which might have been devised for constituting this branch of the government, that which has been proposed by the convention is probably the most congenial with the public opinion. It is recommended by the double advantage of favoring a select appointment, and of giving to the State governments such an agency in the formation of the federal government as must secure the authority of the former, and may form a convenient link between the two systems.

This idea was not a distant third, the election of Senators by the State Legislature was at the FOREFRONT (You "YELLED" first btw).

Madison futher states in Federalist 63 that matters concerning the population are over their heads in some cases (Which is why voting privileges were restricted from the beginning). Now your vote is canceled out by some activists wishing to tax you into oblivion or some homeless bum who cancelled your vote for some beer and cigarettes.

Have fun with that system. For the record, it's too late to repeal anything or bring back sane policies. The voting genie is out of the bottle, once voting "rights" expanded, this "experiment" was ended. Trump is a flash in the pan until the electorate get fickle again and vote for another "progressive".

It seems to me that both of you would rather have politicians decide who to represent your state in the U.S. Senate rather than decide for yourselves. How cute. Do you similarly depend on politicians to tell you how to worship God or how to raise your family? Personally, I believe that citizens have the unalienable right to elect their representatives in government, but if you all want to delegate your sovereignty to politicians you are free to continue to communicate your meekness and subservience by advocating for the abrogation of your right to vote for your state’s representatives in the U.S. Senate.

"Tell me what is harder to overcome: Kicking out your State Representative who corrupts the process with your next vote by those who pay attention..."

Most states are gerrymandered to elect a particular party member. It is actually quite hard to rid yourself of one who votes poorly. Although I'm in a Republican state, the district I'm in is heavily Democrat. Unless said member retires, there's no way to get rid of them, and they're merely replaced by someone as bad, and often worse. Same goes for my State Senator, as I'm in a Black Voting Rights Act-mandated seat. I also similarly have no say for Congressmember, which is Democrat and has been since U.S. Grant won his 2nd term in 1872. U.S. Senator is the only office I can have influence over because I am outvoted on all the other contests. It would be unthinkable to give up that right to my corrupt, ultraleftist state legislator and incoming State Senator, neither of which represents me whatsoever.

In my case sprouting wings and taking flight would be easier than voting out my state legislators because like millions of people I’m in a heavily rat district. Republicans don’t even RUN for state leg here.

My vote for US Senator is the only vote for a legislative office that I have at any level of government that might make a difference. My pig state Reps can have my Senatorial vote over my dead body, do you understand?

And do not say “move”. That’s taking the argument off into an irrelevant tangent.

You might have a point about “special interests” if state legislators weren’t just as beholden to “special interests” as Congress, which they are.

Voting is over the heads of most Americans. They are allowed to vote anyway. I’d love to restrict the franchise. You make a great case for that, but not for taking away my vote for Senator and giving it to some jerk who was elected by those same idiots.

I’m telling you, repealing 17 would NOT (shout!) result in a better class of Senators but worse because those people in state legislatures, Rollo, there are politicians, they are ***holes like all politicians! Look at all the examples of a few RINOs (or 1 RINO in the case the TN House a few years ago) teaming with democrats to control legislative chambers, Alaska right now has a “GOP” Majority and a democrat Speaker. This could happen in almost every Senate race in a Republican. 60% of the GOP legislators in say, Arizona might decent on a decent nominee. Nothing is stopping the rest of them from voting with dems to put in Megan McCain.

I’ll whatever pitfulls occur in direct elections over that backroom horsecrap any day.

This discussion is academic of course because (and you seem to agree) this will not happen or even be seriously considered. Perhaps we’re all being too testy I’m just frustrating for having circular discussions on this topic for **years**.