If popular vote is going to decide the president, then we shouldn't have to "vote strategically" for the lesser of two evils. "Voting third party is throwing your vote away and effectively voting for x candidate" shouldn't even be a talking point.

What you're calling "ranked choice voting" is actually "instant-runoff voting", and you still have to vote strategically under IRV. IRV is a shit system, and people really need to stop promoting it and perpetuating myths about it.

• It's not safe to vote honestly under IRV; spoiler effect still applies as soon as your favorite becomes competitive.
• It's not easy to vote strategically under IRV either (unlike plurality's "lesser of two evils")
• IRV perpetuates a two-party system
• IRV is a majoritarian system, so it still elects candidates who are hated by 49% of the population, polarizing the population.

Better systems: Score/Range, Approval, Condorcet. http://www.bansinglemarkballots.org/