The founders didn't envision permanent political parties which is why the electoral college has gone awry. Nonetheless, their failure to put in a safeguard preventing it is a huge factor in getting us where we are today. Seems like they should have seen it as more of a definite possibility if not an inevitability rather than a remote or extreme circumstance. They definitely talked about it.

We have apathetic and low voter turn out because of the electoral college. I think there are more liberals in conservative areas than what the numbers show, they just don't vote because it's an all or nothing voting system and they know their vote doesn't matter by the numbers.

We either need to abolish political parties and all their trappings or end the electoral college.