Electoral College is there for the same reason we had the Great Compromise (2 houses of congress).
Without the electoral college, no one cares about Louisiana or New Mexico or Ohio or Maine. Everyone cares about California, New York, and Florida.
And because of that, they are the ones that get all the funding for roads, schools, and any other bonuses the Fed. government can slip by to ensure a nice victory. It is better to have it for a multitude of reasons.