People always think of this as the USA and forget what the letters stands for. This country was a coalition of states united under a federal government to ensure free trade and defense. It was (IMO) a negative outcome of the Civil War that there was an overreach of the Federal Government over the States, and this trend has progressed more in favor of the Federal Government as time has progressed. This imbalance has repercussions all over our government, and the further it goes, the worse it will get. The Electoral College is one bastion of that original system, and is an acknowledgement of those States' rights and should not be abandoned.

Besides, a straight popular vote would only ensure tyranny of the cities against the agrarian populace.

Though I would concede that the idea of these "winner-takes-all" electorates is pretty disgusting. California and New York would look very different if the electorates actually reflected the sentiments of its populace rather than just Los Angeles and New York City. And it would probably line up with a popular vote more often than it recently has.