[mountaineer22]

If the EC in each state was allocated proportionally to the results of the individual candidates votes for that state, I think that would be quite helpful (so candidates could receive mixed-number results, like 13.7, etc).

No winner take all nonsense. That preserves these two-party binary choices.

[MichaelGG]

Winner take all maximises the influence an individual state has. Viewing it from the point of one state, if their citizens want candidate A 51-49, it only makes sense to throw all their votes towards it. Awarding proportionately would mean the decision is up to other states. Swing states would lose all their power as you could count on them being nearly perfectly divided.

Now if you want to abolish the states and just have one federal government you'd have a point, but that's a whole different issue.