Wouldn't it be more politically expedient to try to ease this in, e.g. Federal law requiring states to split up electors proportionally according to popular vote, reallocating electors proportionally to population, etc.?

I'm having a hard time believing that they just feel so emboldened that they can proceed to carry this out straightforwardly.

Fraud aside, this in itself would be a by-the-books way to never lose another election. Since they'd never lose an election, there'd never be a majority elected to undo this. A bold, self-perpetuating power-grab.