Washington -- Being a superdelegate to this year's Democratic National Convention in Denver may not be so spectacular.
In the past, the high-ranking elected officials and party officers, free to vote for whomever they wanted at the convention, were most notable for snagging invitations to the best receptions or securing prime seats on the floor.
But it now looks as if the votes of 796 superdelegates may determine whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton becomes the party's standard bearer. The position this year entails more responsibility than recreation. And while George W. Bush likes being the decider, many party leaders do not.
The perception of a presidential nomination decided by private pledges and whispered promises "would be terrible," said Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, the most prominent Maryland superdelegate yet to announce his choice.
"We want to avoid it, and we want to avoid the appearance," said Cardin, one of Maryland's 27 superdelegates. "That is something that would be very damaging to the democratic principles of the Democratic Party."
That's why Cardin and others from Maryland will be carefully watching the results of the coming primaries in Wisconsin, Hawaii, Ohio and Texas. If a clear leader emerges soon and begins pulling away, party leaders could reaffirm the will of millions of voters, not shape it or overturn it.
"I really do believe that we will have one nominee by the time the caucuses and primaries are over," Cardin said.
"When we set up the superdelegate process ... I don't think it was ever intended to be determinative of who our nominee would be," he said.
When Democrats in the Mid-Atlantic went to the polls for last week's Potomac primaries, they voted decisively for Obama. The Illinois senator has compiled eight straight victories, pulling ahead in the delegate count. In Maryland, Obama carried all six congressional districts that are represented by Democrats.
But even if he wins convincingly in all remaining states, it will be difficult for Obama to reach the 2,025 pledged delegates needed for nomination, because of the way Democrats divide delegates proportionately.
"The way the district votes is obviously something you take into consideration," said Rep. John Sarbanes. His 3rd District went for Obama 55 percent to 42 percent, but Sarbanes has not committed to a candidate.
