Presidential Election 2000

During the 2000 Presidential election, a number of Ralph Nader supporters felt they had to choose between voting for Nader (their sincere choice) and Gore (their strategic choice). In fact, had the 97,000 Nader voters in Florida not voted for Nader, but instead voted for their second choices, whether Bush or Gore, it's likely that Gore would have won Florida and hence the Presidency.

In American Presidential elections, only the voters' first place votes count. Does it seem fair that the way the votes are counted encourages voters to vote for their second choice rather than their first choice?

And does it seem fair that Nader's presence in the Presidential race affects whether Bush or Gore wins?