Gore/McCain counties & Bush/Kerry/McCain counties

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Gore (2000) & McCain (2008)

NY: Montgomery, Richmond
NJ: Monmouth
PA: Mercer, Lawrence, Beaver, Washington, Greene, Fayette
MD: Somerset
VA: Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Southampton
WV: Brooke, Harrison, Kanawha, Fayette, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wyoming
KY: Fulton, Ballard, Muhlenberg, Franklin, Boyd, Breathitt, Perry, Knott, Floyd, Pike, Letcher, Harlan
TN: Lake, Lauderdale, Crockett, Gibson, Henry, Stewart, Humphreys, Benton, Decatur, Perry, Hickman, Lewis, Dickson, Robertson, Giles, Marshall, Bedford, Franklin, Marion, Grundy, Warren, Van Buren, Cannon, DeKalb, White, Smith, Trousdale, Overton, Clay, Campbell
NC: Columbus, Chowan, Tyrrell
GA: McIntosh, Mitchell, Wilkinson, Webster
FL: Hernando, Pasco
AL: Jackson, Lawrence, Colbert, Choctaw, Conecuh, Barbour
MS: Benton
LA: Bienville, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, West Baton Rouge, Assumption
AR: Little River, Hempstead, Lafayette, Nevada, Clark, Ouachita, Dallas, Hot Spring, Lincoln, Drew, Ashley, Bradley, Monroe, Cross, Jackson, Poinsett, Mississippi, Craighead, Lawrence, Greene, Clay, Randolph, Izard
MO: Clay, Ray, Saline, Missisippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot
IL: Perry, Franklin
IN: Scott
OH: Clark
OK: Ottowa, Cherokee, Muskogee, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Haskell, Latimer, Hughes, Choctaw
TX: Morris, Newton, Robertson

Bush (2000) & Kerry (2004) & McCain (2008)

KY: Carter, Bath, Magoffin

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Why 2000 though? I know Gore did extremely well in NY but still...

Gun control may have resonated with voters in these NY/NJ counties.  Most basically I would posit that Bill Clinton was just extremely popular in the Northeast so Al Gore was quite a good candidate there in 2000.

Any ideas on these KY counties that swung against Gore, back to Kerry, and then right back to the GOP?  They are all close to Elliott county, which if you will notice is by itself in voting for Gore but surrounded by like minded counties in voting for Kerry and Obama.  Really strange.

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I really don't see gun control as being that significant an issue to cause such swings.

If you need further proof, also look at WV in 2000.

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Guns are not much of a big issue in Richmond County, NY; certainly not comparable to WV.

Is there any reason you say this?  If you look at areas throughout the Northeast you will find a pattern suggesting otherwise.  Incidentally, gun control is a huge issue in New York City, and you won't find many people on Staten Island clamoring on about their sacred Second Amendment rights.

Ocean County, New Jersey
Bush - 48.84%
Gore - 47.18%

McCain - 58.43%
Obama - 40.07%

Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Gore - 54.53%
Bush - 39.11%

Obama - 52.77%
McCain - 45.19%

Niagara County, New York
Gore - 51.23%
Bush - 43.91%

Obama - 49.65%
McCain - 48.65%

Nassau County, New York
Gore - 57.93%
Bush - 38.49%

Obama - 53.84%
McCain - 45.43%

Gore also holds the record for the highest percentage of the vote in Kings county.