The Color Purple, Politically Speaking

In New Hampshire, a democratic influx has caused political ambiguity.

ByABC News
October 4, 2008, 7:58 AM

Oct. 4, 2008 — -- New Hampshire is a state that historically has been dominated by Republicans.

Since 1856, the state has only voted for the Democratic ticket in a presidential election nine times. But three of those times came out of the last four presidential elections -- 1992, 1996 and 2004.

Two years ago, residents witnessed what some called a "blue avalanche" of Democratic victories in the state. A Democrat was elected governor and both state legislatures were swept by Democratic candidates.

Dante Scala, associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, believes the political change has been brought on by retirement.

"People who might've moved from not only out of state but out of region to move up to New Hampshire for retirement bring their politics with them, and they're more Democratic politics," Scala said.

Despite the fact they did not move for retirement, Wood and Cheryl Turner, who moved from Seattle, Wash. to Exeter, N.H., last year, are such transplants.

"In Seattle, we were one of 500,000 people who basically voted the same way," Wood told "Good Morning America," "and here, I think we've found those people and we've become much more open and sort of more willing to wear our issues on our sleeve and talk about what we care about."

Dean Barker, a Latin teacher turned political blogger, said that the Democratic power in New Hampshire has been a fact of life for years and that the nation is just now noticing.

"I think what I would take away nationally is that you can't depend on the traditional states being one particular stripe or another," Barker said. "The perception of New Hampshire is finally catching up with the reality."

According to the latest ABC News poll, Barack Obama holds a lead in the state, 49 percent to John McCain's 37 percent.

But as America waits in the days leading up to the 2008 election, New Hampshire has certainly found itself in familiar territory -- perched and wobbling right up on the presidential fence.