Paul Chesser’s observation:

“But there is definite Democrat seepage into former Republican strongholds. New Hampshire, with many transplants from Massachusetts, is now a blue state.”

…needs a minor correction. If you look at the county-by-county red-blue maps of the 2000 and 2004 elections, you see the blue creep into New Hampshire not from the south, but from the west. I think the liberalizing influence comes from Vermonters looking for more land. Refugee Massachusetts types are fleeing our state because of liberal policies here; they’re mostly conservative.

Paul does not mention, however, the real New England transformation: The utter liberalization of formerly conservative Maine. That is definitely a liberal migration from Massachusetts, spearheaded by gays, who have largely colonized the south coast.