By MICHAEL POWEL of The New York Times
Published: October 26, 2008
ALIQUIPPA, Pa. - Voting for the black man does not come easy to Nick Piroli. He is the first to admit that.
To the sound of bowling balls smacking pins, as the bartender in the Fallout Shelter queues up more Buds, this retired steelworker wrestles with this election and his choice. A couple of friends, he says, will not vote for Senator Barack Obama.
"I'm no racist, but I'm not crazy about him either," said Mr. Piroli, 77. "I don't know, maybe 'cause he's black."
He winces at himself. "We was raised and worked with the black, the Serb," he said. "It was a regular league of nations. And the economy now, it's terrible."
"I've got to vote for him," he said finally.
Him? "The Democrat, Obama," Mr. Piroli replied. "I can't be stupid."
Mr. Obama's Republican rival in the presidential campaign, Senator John McCain, has placed a sizable electoral bet that he can sweep predominantly white, working-class Beaver County and a
dozen more Pennsylvania counties like it. Last week, Mr. McCain spoke before thousands in Moon Township, and two days later his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, drew more than 2,000 fans to a rally in Beaver.
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