That's my dad's name, and he is a hydrologist. Coincidence?
H2Oman should be here to celebrate.
Here's a little known fact
In 1976 in South Dakota Ford got 50.39% of the vote and Carter got 48.91%. In North Dakota Ford got 51.66% and Carter got 45.8%. Pretty darn close, especially in South Dakota, usually a dark red state. In 1980, however, in South Dakota Reagan got 60.53%, Carter 31.69%, and Anderson 6.54%. In North Dakota, Reagan got 64.23%, Carter 26.26% and Anderson 7.84%.
What happened in those four years? One of Carter's first acts, on 21 Feb. 1977, he announced several major water projects in South Dakota that he was cutting in order to help balance the budget, and also the Garrison project in North Dakota.
It is not even listed as a major event in his Presidency. I cannot find a link detailing the cuts
http://millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/americanpresident/keyevents/carterbut I think it hurt him in the next election, and perhaps others too. George McGovern also lost in 1980 after 3 terms in the Senate, and then Daschle beat the guy who beat him in 1986.