Todd Palin showed no sign of sharing his wife's magnetism behind the microphone in his first solo campaign swing yesterday, but few expected him to -- his talk at a gun club in North Versailles was preaching to the choir.

The husband -- "first dude" -- of Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is known more for racing snowmobiles than making stump speeches. So his brief remarks to the Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportmen's Club went right to a topic that all 75 people in the room agreed about: gun rights.

"There are big issues in this election that some support and some don't support," Mr. Palin said during his three-minute talk. "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, they support Second Amendment rights. And Obama, he tells us we cling to our guns because we are bitter, and because he doesn't believe in the right to bear arms in this country. So it's very important to get out the vote."

Referring to a page of notes and wearing a black jacket from his Tesoro Iron Dog snowmobile team, Mr. Palin said, "As a hunter and a fisherman from Alaska, it's just important that we continue to be able to have those laws that support our core values -- hunting and fishing."

Allison Price, a spokeswoman for Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama responded, "When it comes to Barack Obama versus John McCain on gun rights, it's a draw. ... Obama will always support our Second Amendment rights and uphold the Supreme Court's decision on our Constitutional right to own guns and defend ourselves."

Mr. Obama's campaign focused on its own get-out-the-vote efforts in the area yesterday: Gov. Ed Rendell headed up a canvassing and phone-banking initiative in Homewood, while more than 200 pro-Obama bikers and union members had separate voter events elsewhere in the city.

Mr. Palin's solo appearance was part of a renewed effort by the McCain-Palin camp to seize Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes, even though Mr. Obama was up in nearly every state poll, has huge advantages in advertising and voter registration levels, and the state hasn't voted for a Republican president in 20 years.

Ms. Palin spoke yesterday in Lancaster, after rallies in the past eight days in Johnstown and Scranton, and Mr. McCain appeared last week in Montgomery and Chester counties.

"It's the choice between a politician who puts his faith in government and a leader who puts his faith in you," Ms. Palin said to thousands at a minor league baseball field yesterday in Lancaster County, which voted Republican in 2002 and 2004.

"Sen. Obama will do to those who want to create jobs what shouldn't be done, and we're calling him on it," she said.

Many in the gun club crowd yesterday wore "Sportsmen for McCain" hats and stickers or carried "Democrats for McCain" signs. One of the latter was John Vance, 70, a retired U.S. Army veteran who also worked for Allegheny Power. He switched his registration to Republican eight years ago, saying he was fed up with Democratic leadership.

"Clinton, Schumer, Pelosi, Feinstein -- I had enough," Mr. Vance said. "The Democrats used to be the working man's party. What happened?"

Asked if Republicans have done a better job of representing workers , he paused.

"I don't know. The Republican policy has been runaway spending."

Josh Love, 23, of Plum, said every gun owner he knows is supporting Mr. McCain due to fears that an Obama administration would chip away at gun ownership rights.

"It's about the freedom our forefathers put in the Constitution for us, and the spirit that citizens are in charge of this country when it comes to self-defense," he said.

Mr. McCain's gun-rights record is not spotless -- he once favored background checks on purchases at gun shows -- "but when you contrast him to Obama, the difference is very, very stark," Mr. Love said.

The National Rifle Association endorsed Mr. McCain early this month. An alternative gun group that has supported some gun-control measures called the American Hunters and Shooters Association has endorsed Mr. Obama.

The idea that Mr. Obama supports hunting and Second Amendment rights wasn't getting much traction with the crowd yesterday.

"That reminds me of John Kerry wearing camo with the shotgun, saying he was duck hunting in Ohio," said Bernie Smith, 67, of Penn. "What a crock."

As for Mr. Palin's speech -- "I don't think it's something he does for a living," said Buddy Savage, 71, who owns the Braverman Arms gun shop in Wilkinsburg.

But the group wasn't there for oratory or argument. There was no argument when it came to its one big issue.

"I'm in the firearms business so I have a big stake in who gets in," Mr. Savage said. "Gun rights will be destroyed if Obama is president."