They want Clinton to fold

Illinois' Democratic superdelegates do not exactly represent the entire nation.

They all hail, after all, from Sen. Barack Obama's home state. Most have never been on the fence in this long and bruising nomination fight between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. All except one has long since pledged support for the state's junior senator.

But the Illinois superdelegates' call -- that it's time to end the battle in Obama's favor -- could gain traction after Tuesday's strong showing for Obama and disappointing outcome for Clinton in Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

"I'd like to see Hillary drop out," Margie Woods, an Illinois superdelegate and Obama supporter from Joliet, said Wednesday. "The lady, she just doesn't want to face the facts."

The facts, as of Wednesday, were that Obama had added four new superdelegates -- including former Clinton supporter George McGovern -- since Tuesday's balloting. Clinton had added two.

Among pledged delegates -- those won in proportion to primary voting -- Obama now leads 1,840 to 1,688. With 2,025 needed to win, Obama, despite his lead, cannot win enough pledged delegates in the six remaining primaries to seal a victory.

In other words, unless Clinton bows out, Obama cannot win without superdelegates declaring for him.

While some Illinois superdelegates are less blunt than Woods, most clearly would like to see their candidate nominated sooner rather than later. Most believe that will happen but say the decisions cannot be forced.

U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, an Obama backer from Barrington, said: "People ask: 'You're superdelegates. Can't you, as party leaders, get the candidates to get together and settle it?' But the answer is no, ultimately it's up to the candidates."

For her part, Clinton continued to campaign Wednesday, asking for votes and money after putting $6.4 million of her own money into the effort.

But Tuesday's results damaged the Park Ridge native's hopes in three regards -- freezing the momentum she had gained by winning Pennsylvania, all but erasing her hope of overtaking Obama in the popular vote, and showing that voters would turn out for Obama even after a rough stretch in his campaign.

Tom Hynes, a superdelegate from Chicago and former state senate president, acknowledged that some superdelegates would prefer that Clinton end her effort rather than force a decision on their part. Many superdelegates, after all, are elected officials with close ties to both candidates.

Nonetheless, Hynes said, "I think (Tuesday's outcome) will result in an acceleration of superdelegates moving to Senator Obama. Senator Clinton is in a position now where she's got to get about 65 percent of remaining delegates, and I don't see any way that is going to happen."

Many Obama backers are increasingly eager to focus on the general election campaign against Republican nominee John McCain.

Most dismiss as "heat of the moment" emotion those exit polls that have as many as a third of Clinton voters saying they will not vote for Obama if he is the Democratic nominee.

"I think the focus will change once the nomination is settled," said U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, an Obama superdelegate from western Illinois. "John McCain is clearly a decent guy, but from our perspective, his election would just be a third term for 'W,' and I don't think people are wanting that at all."

Steve Powell, a superdelegate from Mundelein and secretary-treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers, acknowledged that Obama has work to do in drawing the white working-class voters who have strongly backed Clinton throughout the primaries.

"Part of our responsibility is to educate voters on pocketbook issues, regardless of race," Powell said. "We need to provide them with facts and let them make an educated decision on their own. I have confidence that once they look at that, a great majority will vote for a positive effect on their livelihoods."

Democratic U.S. senators, representatives and governors automatically qualify as superdelegates. Others are high-ranking officials appointed by either the state or national party.

After primary voters nominated George McGovern in 1972 and Jimmy Carter in 1976, Democrats created superdelegates to give the party hierarchy a larger voice in determining the eventual nominee.

But until this year, superdelegates never have been asked to exercise that voice decisively.