What about this: the general population has neither the time nor the interest to really examine and make a fully informed choice about each presidential candida

What about this: the general population has neither the time nor the interest to really examine and make a fully informed choice about each presidential candidate and the implications of each one's ascendancy. As such, the population should directly elect "electors" (that is, members of the Electoral College), whose job it will be to study each candidate and make the best choice on behalf of the people they represent. Candidates for president will not campaign directly to the people, but their elected electors. Electors would campaign to be directly elected. The people may be able to contribute an "advisory" popular vote, but it won't matter, similar to the situation regarding the election of U.S. Senators prior to the ratification of the 17th Amendment. While the Electoral College still exists, it has been completely neutered in practice, and currently only represents a rough approximation of the popular vote; most states have laws obligating electors to vote along with the popular votes these days, and I know of no states where electors are directly elected by the people (they are usually elected on party slates).