So we can dismiss gerrymandering, as far as a significant, direct, effect on the Presidential Election.
Then there is voter suppression, which is really a problem independent of the Electoral College. Whether we used the EC or national poll, voter suppression would be a problem. It is not unique to the EC.
--
What I'm trying to say, is that it is pointless to tie those points to the EC and use that to explain why HRC lost.
Everyone running knew how the EC works, and campaigned accordingly. They campaigned for the states they needed, not for the national poll. She lost because she couldn't win a single one of the swing states she needed, and even lost two of her own to the guy from the Apprentice.
--
As far as an argument on the merits of EC vs National poll, that's fine, I'm not trying to protect the EC. But pointing to her lead in the national is pointless because that's not what they campaigned for.
No we can not. Dude you're looking at it just in theory, in practice it plays a part.
Voter suppression is so potent because or gerrymandering. And Gerrymandering is so potent because House Seats (and in turn Electoral College votes) are locked at 538
They work together
-And no one is using this just to complain about Clinton losing. Yes the argument has to discuss the EC not representing the will of the people, and HRC and Gore are examples.
But there are a ton of other valid criticism of the EC and your voting system as a hole. With or with Gerrymandering or voter suppression.
I don't see that as a sound argument for linking EC and gerrymandering.
On this premise particularly, as it pertains to the Presidential election: Gerrymandering is powerful because we are locked in at 538 EC votes.
For the presidential election, does it really matter how Virginia is sliced up if the winner of the state is the one that gets the most votes total? If it were based on districts, I could see how it would be influential.
Unless you mean on a larger/historical scale, the states had essentially been gerrymandered already when we adopted this system? But then this is no longer an active process, the state aren't being "gerrymandered" continuously. (we aren't actively re-drawing state lines between elections)
--
This topic came up through talking about the relevance of the national poll, and how Dems have been cheated out again (HRC this time). Gerrymandering and voter suppression were both mentioned. It kind of was used to complain about the loss, at least with who I was replying to. But we can ignore that point because it is strawman-y.
--
In terms of mandate. I don't know if you can use the national numbers when the election/campaigns were based on EC votes, because that affects voter behavior, but I'll concede that. They might not have a mandate in that sense, but they have the Presidency, House, Senate, and a soon to be SC lean. All with Trump (!) at the top of the ticket. They have something better than a mandate, actual power.
I guess my larger problem with mentioning the pop vote, and talking about a lack of mandate, it eventually leads to a conclusion similar to: We were close, we were pretty popular, we just got screwed out by a few 100k votes. It leads to overlooking shortcomings. Especially frustrating (and this one is not directed at you) when it is combined w/ other "rigged election" themes to call the results into question.