In-play superdelegates turn off voters

WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- Respondents to a poll say they would be less inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton if superdelegates, not pledged ones, made her the Democratic nominee.

By a 55 percent-to-37 percent margin, Democrats and independents who "lean" Democratic said a scenario in which Clinton lost among pledged delegates but won because of superdelegates would be "flawed" and unfair," the USA Today/Gallup poll indicated. The respondents included 77 percent identifying themselves as supporters of Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and 28 percent of the New York senator's supporters.

Superdelegates are party leaders and elected officials who can vote at the national convention and are not bound by state primary or caucus results.

"It goes back to this notion: As this race winds down, it's not how we started the campaign, it's how we end it," Donna Brazile, campaign manager for Al Gore's 2000 campaign, told USA Today.

She said she was concerned party divisions would present "obstacles" to a Democratic victory in November.

"I feel the emotion on both sides," said Brazile, an uncommitted superdelegate.

The survey of 1,025 adults has a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.