Why did Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, New Hampshire swing towards Bush?

[darklordoftech]

Gore won Manchester in 2000, but Bush won it in 2004. Does anyone know why?

[DPKdebator]

Southern New Hampshire is an extension of southern New England culturally.  It comprises the northern reaches of Greater Boston, and it has a lot of white ethnics (Irish and French Canadian are more dispersed throughout NH, but most of the Italians live in the southeastern part) and MA transplants. A lot of people there commute to Boston and its environs for work, and it's part of the Boston media market. In the other 21st century presidential elections, towns in Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties have followed similar trendlines as demographically similar places in eastern MA (of course from a more GOP-friendly baseline). Meanwhile, western NH has followed a similar trajectory to Vermont and central/northern NH has similarities with Maine beyond the Portland area.