The national popular vote was only 0.51% in favor of Mr. Gore (half a percent). It did not include many outstanding mail in ballots (that would not have affected the electoral votes) across the nation. It did not include allegations of possible vote fraud (that would not have affected the electoral votes).
If we went to a popular vote victory, we would still be recounting ballots nationwide in the 2000 vote.
That’s my take as well. I think Bush really won the popular vote, but itvwipl never be known because of all the states like California, that threw away their absentee ballots because they wouldn’t have made a difference in where the states electoral votes would have gone. Assuming prior trends for Presidental absentee ballots (favoring GOP candidates) counting the uncounted ballots in CA alone would have given Bush the national pop vote.