Gore won the popular vote by about 500,000 votes. After the Supreme Court decision giving it to GWB, the left treated GWB as illegitimate and turned Iraq into a total loss of blood and treasure.
SCOTUS did not "give" the election to GW. All they did was enforce the existing Constitution and laws.
If anybody wants a President elected by popular vote, there's a perfectly constitutional way to get. We just need an amendment.