I wouldn't support the abolition of the electoral
college. The government is a Federal setup, and a
collection of the states. I believe the president should be
elected state by state (weighted with electoral votes).
Keep in mind that if the vote were popular, you would
have seen Gore and Bush spend all of their time in the
major markets, and would have ignored a lot of other
states.
The one change I would suggest is the adoption of the
proportional electoral vote as Maine and Nebraska have it. The
vote in each state is recognized with the 2 at large
votes, and each district gets a voice. It's closer to
the popular vote, but still retains insulation - and
I like the symmetry with the congressional setup. I
think it would work.
Ultimately you have to
trust the EC and House to get this right.
Of
course, none of this will prevent Jesse Ventura from
winning in 2004.