Why did Carter do so well in the plains?

[Sumner 1868]

Watergate fatigue, but mostly because the 1973-75 recession was especially hard for agriculture.

[Sumner 1868]

Even though many users disregard and deny the fact: Mondale delivered many voters from the Dakotas,
Kansas is a bit "Southish", and Oklahoma is part of the South.

Yes, Mondale was an great asset in 1976, however mediocre he was in 1984.

[Sumner 1868]

Huh this is strange, Whats with 20% of democrats voting for ford while carter only got 10% of republicans?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1976#Voter_demographics


Carter should of been the archtype democrat who could bring back the southern and/or conservative democrats back to the party. White evangelical southerner who grew up humble and had a folksy peanut farmer image. What explains why there were double of cross-party votes in favor of ford than the reverse?

Bigotry against Carter's religion.