Virginia and Mississippi in 1976

[Vepres]

I don't get this. Ford won Virginia and almost won Mississippi despite both being surrounded by strong Carter states. What made them different?

[Vepres]

Most of the White Vote in Mississippi was for Ford, but Southern Evangelical Carter attracted just enough of the White Vote, and all of the Black vote so Carter won that one. No f'n clue about Virginia though. Possible that since Virginia had a rather smaller black population than other Southern States, and the fact that Virginia's whites were solidly for Ford.

But what made the Mississippi white vote so different from the white vote in Alabama or Arkansas?