Superdelegates may decide nominee

WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- Selecting the Democratic candidate for president of the United States may rest with the party leaders and elected officials designated superdelegates.

Since the party's two candidates, Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., each have a credible argument for being the nominee, the final decision may fall to the hundreds of superdelegates not committed during primaries or caucuses, USA Today reported Monday.

Those superdelegates -- generally elected party officials -- would have their say at the Democratic National Convention in August in Denver.

To date Obama has won more state primaries and caucuses and leads in the pledged delegate count but Clinton has captured larger states.

Several national polls, but not all, show both candidates can beat the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the November election. Last week the non-partisan SurveyUSA released polls of 600 registered voters in each of the 50 states showing Obama beating McCain by larger margins than Clinton.

Observers say the bottom line is both Obama and Clinton will get the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency but by different paths.