The Electoral College Could Just Bring Balance To The Force

I believe that the Constitution is an inspired document. The Electoral College is definitely a part of the Constitution, but the wisdom of it has come into question on both sides of the isle as close elections are turned into an attempted to call a victory a mandate not by popular vote but by the perception of the electoral colleges vote percentages.

It is funny how now the elections are over we tend to look for a scapegoat to blame for our loss. A common scapegoat over the past several election cycles seems to be the Electoral College. I am not super familiar with the history of the Electoral College, but I understand that the founding fathers put it in the Constitution and I do believe that it was there for a purpose, though I believe that the way it is applied now is not what they intended.
After this last election I was thinking about how many on both sides feel cheated by the system. States that are dominated by democrats or republicans are easily ignored by both candidates while certain states are given more attention than they should get.
In the mean time, we all realize that there is something very wrong when the popular vote can be so different from the Electoral College vote count. It discourages many from voting because it looks like their vote doesn't even count.
I could not find anywhere in the Constitution where it says that states have to comply to the winner takes all tradition, and it seems to me that it would be in the states interest to change the winner takes all rules.
Just think for a moment if we made it so that states voted for the president along congressional boundaries. Candidates would have to appeal to more than just swing states and city dwellers. Then what if the 2 extra votes per state were appointed by the states themselves. They might be appointed based upon over all popular vote for the state, or by state appointment via the legislature?
State representation might actually force our candidates to focus on more than just social and or popular issues. With potentially 100 votes at stake it might actually require them to address states issues. This would follow the spirit of The Great Compromise and represent us not only as individuals, but as a state as well.
What if the smaller states could band together and create a regional block of votes? This might change the political system all together.
Hmmm...Just something to think about.