How did Gore not win comfortably?

[The Mikado]

I remember hearing that Gore would win the Electoral Vote and Bush would win the Popular Vote.

and Bush was prepared to fight that:

http://www.bartcop.com/111tie.htm

And that's unfortunate (though I must note how they only quoted "a Bush aide") but if the quotes from the movie Recount are accurate, when asked about that possibility, the Gore campaign told reporters that they would expect Bush to respect "the rule of law."   Your source backs up those quotes.  Too bad we didn't hear that when their surrogates were spinning everytime they got the chance, saying Gore won the popular (as if we were supposed to make an exception to the rule just this one time).

I actually heard someone in a position to know in the Bush camp say that "We switched talking points after the election,"  (Paraphrase) regarding the possibility of Gore winning the electoral vote and Bush winning the popular one.

[The Mikado]

That quote says it all.  The Gore campaign ran a horrible campaign and the Bush campaign ran an excellent no holds bar campaign.

Ah, yes.  The Bush campaign that had George standing around in Califorinia days before the election, wasting a fortune that could be going to shore up Florida, was "excellent."  Of course.