[xzins]

Therefore if 20 candidates run for the president, and the winner has only 20% of the national vote, that means that we’ve somehow improved things by putting a grossly unsupported person into the White House?

This is insane. It will encourage huge numbers of candidates to run for the presidency.

It is conceivable that a California candidate, if he wins just the California votes and nothing else, could be the president.

This would only work if the bill were also to stipulate that the electoral votes would only go to the popular vote winner if that winner attains a national majority of the votes.

[ContraryMary]

Therefore if 20 candidates run for the president, and the winner has only 20% of the national vote, that means that we’ve somehow improved things by putting a grossly unsupported person into the White House?

Been there, done that. Bill Clinton was elected in 1992 with 42% of the national vote.