too many of the states (mostly the conservative ones) LIKE having their influence felt as a bloc vote, rather than take the chance that 51% of the people as a whole will vote against them...that way, they can win, even when they lose, as happened last time. They think it's important to have the opportunity to say "Alabama, as a *state* repudiates that liberal so-and-so"...even if only 51% of Alabama feels that way. If it is close, "we don't want ANY of our citizens votes to count in favor of Kerry!"

you can see why they feel that way...a few hundred votes in Florida the other way would have given the election to the guy most citizens preferred, rather that the one most conservative states preferred.