Super Tuesday showdown: How the South won the spotlightATLANTA (Reuters) - Things were not looking too good a year ago for Georgia’s top elections officer as he tried to stitch together a mega-presidential primary in the U.S. South. Efforts to bring Alabama and Arkansas online had stalled. Tennessee was threatening to defect.  But Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp kept working the phones, arguing that a bloc of Southern states all voting on March 1 was the only way to make U.S. presidential candidates pay attention to the region.  Eventually key state leaders came around and their effort seems to have paid off.  Candidates have campaigned more in the South this election year in an effort to woo a group of states voting early on so-called Super Tuesday than Kemp can recall seeing in any contemporary primary. And the seven states holding contests in the region appear poised to play a pivotal role in selecting the Republican and Democratic nominees for the Nov. 8 race. “In years past, we’ve been an afterthought,” Kemp said at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta last week. “That’s certainly not the case this year.” Elections officials nationally are watching how the concurrent races in the South play out on Tuesday, and are talking about possibly replicating the strategy in other parts of the country to win a greater say in the primaries. Kemp has dubbed the coordinated Southern races that he’s orchestrated the “SEC primary” - or Southeastern Conference primary - after a regional college athletic conference. “This represents an attempt to introduce primary reform,” said Kay Stimson, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State, which for years has urged holding regional primaries that would rotate around the nation. “Brian Kemp took the ball and ran with it,” she added. It was not easy.  A year ago, Kemp stood in his statehouse office fretting that bills to set the primary date in Alabama and Arkansas were not going to pass. An Alabama state party chair was worried her state would get lost in a big group, he said, but Kemp argued that Alabama would still be better off by voting when it was early enough to matter. In Arkansas, the bill to change the primary date did not pass until it was included in a special legislative session. Kemp even feared trouble in Tennessee after his counterpart there said there was a rumor circulating that the “SEC Primary” states were thinking about moving back by a week.  “No,” Kemp replied. “Our coalition is holding together.” “WAFFLE HOUSE” v. “SEC” PRIMARY     Kemp, 52, a boots-wearing small business owner who drives a Chevrolet Suburban with more than 430,000 miles on it, jokes he could have dubbed his effort the “Waffle House primary,” for a restaurant chain prevalent in the region.  But athletics jumped out as a common passion for the Southern states he helped to bring together: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Four other states, from Alaska to Vermont, also hold contests to award delegates on Super Tuesday. Kemp’s plan to concentrate attention on the South did not initially excite Alabama’s John Merrill, who had other priorities as that state’s newly elected elections chief. But after hearing the then secretary of state from Iowa - which holds the country’s first nominating contest - talk about how voters there would never back a candidate they had not met eight times, he rallied bipartisan support.  “Do you know just how few times anybody in Alabama has ever had the privilege to interact with a presidential candidate on a personal basis, let alone do it more than once?” Merrill said. Candidates began showing up once the regional primary was in place. A rally for Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump drew as many as 30,000 people to a football stadium in Mobile, Alabama in August, for example. The primaries in the politically conservative South got a boost in significance this year from the size and unpredictability of the Republican presidential field. On the Democratic side, the region’s large concentrations of African-American voters are seen as a test of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s and U.S. Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders’ appeal with a key Democratic voting bloc. While the South has not seen such a coordinated effort in decades, it is not the first time the states have tried to gang up.  Yet in 1988, when the region almost entirely held primaries on March 8, votes were split among Democratic candidates and the contest left the South to be settled elsewhere. A number of states eventually walked away from the plan. “The experience in 1988 was not one that the powers-that-be at the time really wanted,” said Josh Putnam, a lecturer in political science at the University of Georgia. Nonetheless, other regions are eyeing the Southern model. Washington state Secretary of State Kim Wyman failed last year to persuade several neighboring states to coordinate their primaries but plans another push in the next cycle.  “We could have a Pac-12,” she joked, referring to a Pacific Coast-oriented college athletic conference. “Or at least get some of the Western states to go on the same day, so candidates might actually come and visit us and campaign.” politicsNews
super tuesday showdown how south spotlightatlanta reuters things looking good year ago georgia top elections officer tried stitch together primary south efforts bring alabama arkansas online stalled tennessee threatening defect but georgia secretary state brian keep kept working phones arguing bloc southern states voting march way make presidential candidates pay attention region eventually key state leaders came around effort seems paid candidates campaigned south election year effort woo group states voting early super tuesday keep recall seeing contemporary primary and seven states holding contests region appear poised play pivotal role selecting republican democratic nominees race in years past afterthought keep said georgia state capitol atlanta last week that certainly case elections officials nationally watching concurrent races south play tuesday talking possibly replicating strategy parts country win greater say primaries keep dubbed coordinated southern races orchestrated sec primary southeastern conference primary regional college athletic conference this represents attempt introduce primary reform said kay crimson spokeswoman national association secretaries state years urged holding regional primaries would rotate around nation brian keep took ball ran added it easy a year ago keep stood gatehouse office creating bills set primary date alabama arkansas going pass an alabama state party chair worried state would get lost big group said keep argued alabama would still better voting early enough matter in arkansas bill change primary date pass included special legislative session keep even feared trouble tennessee counterpart said rumor circulating sec primary states thinking moving back week no keep replied our coalition holding baffled house sec primary keep small business owner drives chevrolet suburban miles jokes could dubbed effort baffled house primary restaurant chain prevalent region but athletics jumped common passion southern states helped bring together alabama arkansas georgia oklahoma tennessee texas virginia four states alaska vermont also hold contests award delegates super tuesday keep plan concentrate attention south initially excite alabama john merriam priorities state newly elected elections chief but hearing secretary state iowa holds country first nominating contest talk voters would never back candidate met eight times rallied bipartisan support do know times anybody alabama ever privilege interact presidential candidate personal basis let alone merriam said candidates began showing regional primary place a rally republican billionaire businessman donald trump drew many people football stadium mobile alabama august example the primaries politically conservative south got boost significance year size unpredictability republican presidential field on democratic side region large concentrations voters seen test former secretary state hillary clinton senator vermont bernie sanders appeal key democratic voting bloc while south seen coordinated effort decades first time states tried gang yet region almost entirely held primaries march votes split among democratic candidates contest left south settled elsewhere a number states eventually walked away plan the experience one time really wanted said josh dunam lecturer political science university georgia nonetheless regions eyeing southern model washington state secretary state kim woman failed last year persuade several neighboring states coordinate primaries plans another push next cycle we could joked referring pacific college athletic conference or least get western states go day candidates might actually come visit us politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Super Tuesday showdown: How the South won the spotlightATLANTA (Reuters) - Things were not looking too good a year ago for Georgia’s top elections officer as he tried to stitch together a mega-presidential primary in the U.S. South. Efforts to bring Alabama and Arkansas online had stalled. Tennessee was threatening to defect.  But Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp kept working the phones, arguing that a bloc of Southern states all voting on March 1 was the only way to make U.S. presidential candidates pay attention to the region.  Eventually key state leaders came around and their effort seems to have paid off.  Candidates have campaigned more in the South this election year in an effort to woo a group of states voting early on so-called Super Tuesday than Kemp can recall seeing in any contemporary primary. And the seven states holding contests in the region appear poised to play a pivotal role in selecting the Republican and Democratic nominees for the Nov. 8 race. “In years past, we’ve been an afterthought,” Kemp said at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta last week. “That’s certainly not the case this year.” Elections officials nationally are watching how the concurrent races in the South play out on Tuesday, and are talking about possibly replicating the strategy in other parts of the country to win a greater say in the primaries. Kemp has dubbed the coordinated Southern races that he’s orchestrated the “SEC primary” - or Southeastern Conference primary - after a regional college athletic conference. “This represents an attempt to introduce primary reform,” said Kay Stimson, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State, which for years has urged holding regional primaries that would rotate around the nation. “Brian Kemp took the ball and ran with it,” she added. It was not easy.  A year ago, Kemp stood in his statehouse office fretting that bills to set the primary date in Alabama and Arkansas were not going to pass. An Alabama state party chair was worried her state would get lost in a big group, he said, but Kemp argued that Alabama would still be better off by voting when it was early enough to matter. In Arkansas, the bill to change the primary date did not pass until it was included in a special legislative session. Kemp even feared trouble in Tennessee after his counterpart there said there was a rumor circulating that the “SEC Primary” states were thinking about moving back by a week.  “No,” Kemp replied. “Our coalition is holding together.” “WAFFLE HOUSE” v. “SEC” PRIMARY     Kemp, 52, a boots-wearing small business owner who drives a Chevrolet Suburban with more than 430,000 miles on it, jokes he could have dubbed his effort the “Waffle House primary,” for a restaurant chain prevalent in the region.  But athletics jumped out as a common passion for the Southern states he helped to bring together: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Four other states, from Alaska to Vermont, also hold contests to award delegates on Super Tuesday. Kemp’s plan to concentrate attention on the South did not initially excite Alabama’s John Merrill, who had other priorities as that state’s newly elected elections chief. But after hearing the then secretary of state from Iowa - which holds the country’s first nominating contest - talk about how voters there would never back a candidate they had not met eight times, he rallied bipartisan support.  “Do you know just how few times anybody in Alabama has ever had the privilege to interact with a presidential candidate on a personal basis, let alone do it more than once?” Merrill said. Candidates began showing up once the regional primary was in place. A rally for Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump drew as many as 30,000 people to a football stadium in Mobile, Alabama in August, for example. The primaries in the politically conservative South got a boost in significance this year from the size and unpredictability of the Republican presidential field. On the Democratic side, the region’s large concentrations of African-American voters are seen as a test of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s and U.S. Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders’ appeal with a key Democratic voting bloc. While the South has not seen such a coordinated effort in decades, it is not the first time the states have tried to gang up.  Yet in 1988, when the region almost entirely held primaries on March 8, votes were split among Democratic candidates and the contest left the South to be settled elsewhere. A number of states eventually walked away from the plan. “The experience in 1988 was not one that the powers-that-be at the time really wanted,” said Josh Putnam, a lecturer in political science at the University of Georgia. Nonetheless, other regions are eyeing the Southern model. Washington state Secretary of State Kim Wyman failed last year to persuade several neighboring states to coordinate their primaries but plans another push in the next cycle.  “We could have a Pac-12,” she joked, referring to a Pacific Coast-oriented college athletic conference. “Or at least get some of the Western states to go on the same day, so candidates might actually come and visit us and campaign.” politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: super tuesday showdown how south spotlightatlanta reuters things looking good year ago georgia top elections officer tried stitch together primary south efforts bring alabama arkansas online stalled tennessee threatening defect but georgia secretary state brian keep kept working phones arguing bloc southern states voting march way make presidential candidates pay attention region eventually key state leaders came around effort seems paid candidates campaigned south election year effort woo group states voting early super tuesday keep recall seeing contemporary primary and seven states holding contests region appear poised play pivotal role selecting republican democratic nominees race in years past afterthought keep said georgia state capitol atlanta last week that certainly case elections officials nationally watching concurrent races south play tuesday talking possibly replicating strategy parts country win greater say primaries keep dubbed coordinated southern races orchestrated sec primary southeastern conference primary regional college athletic conference this represents attempt introduce primary reform said kay crimson spokeswoman national association secretaries state years urged holding regional primaries would rotate around nation brian keep took ball ran added it easy a year ago keep stood gatehouse office creating bills set primary date alabama arkansas going pass an alabama state party chair worried state would get lost big group said keep argued alabama would still better voting early enough matter in arkansas bill change primary date pass included special legislative session keep even feared trouble tennessee counterpart said rumor circulating sec primary states thinking moving back week no keep replied our coalition holding baffled house sec primary keep small business owner drives chevrolet suburban miles jokes could dubbed effort baffled house primary restaurant chain prevalent region but athletics jumped common passion southern states helped bring together alabama arkansas georgia oklahoma tennessee texas virginia four states alaska vermont also hold contests award delegates super tuesday keep plan concentrate attention south initially excite alabama john merriam priorities state newly elected elections chief but hearing secretary state iowa holds country first nominating contest talk voters would never back candidate met eight times rallied bipartisan support do know times anybody alabama ever privilege interact presidential candidate personal basis let alone merriam said candidates began showing regional primary place a rally republican billionaire businessman donald trump drew many people football stadium mobile alabama august example the primaries politically conservative south got boost significance year size unpredictability republican presidential field on democratic side region large concentrations voters seen test former secretary state hillary clinton senator vermont bernie sanders appeal key democratic voting bloc while south seen coordinated effort decades first time states tried gang yet region almost entirely held primaries march votes split among democratic candidates contest left south settled elsewhere a number states eventually walked away plan the experience one time really wanted said josh dunam lecturer political science university georgia nonetheless regions eyeing southern model washington state secretary state kim woman failed last year persuade several neighboring states coordinate primaries plans another push next cycle we could joked referring pacific college athletic conference or least get western states go day candidates might actually come visit us politicsnews