Who Really Lost in 2000?

I just read a very good post on Minyanville. The question was posed: Who really lost the 2000 election?

As we bid adieu to George W. Bush, this seems to be a very good question. Bush just concluded 8 tumultuous year in the White House. While there, he dealt with terrorist acts, unfunded Social Security liabilities, skyrocketing medical costs, a bursting housing bubble, a credit crunch and two wars in the Middle East. His record and legacy leave much to be desired.

By contrast, let's look at Al Gore's record. Over the past 8 years, he has spent some time teaching at Columbia, re-acquainting himself with private life. He was soon elected to the Board of Directors to Google, BEFORE its IPO, and then to the Board of Apple, BEFORE the iPod. He then won an Oscar for his work publicizing global warming's risks in a groundbreaking movie, only to be followed with a Nobel Peace Prize for the same work. In short, the past eight years have been very good to Al Gore.

So the question is, who was the real loser of the 2000 Election?