Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are campaigning hard for the votes of superdelegates to the party's convention, more than 300 of whom have yet to publicly commit to a candidate.
In an interview with NPR, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the Democratic candidates have the right to fight right up to the party's convention in August — which means months more of competition — but also suggests that a prolonged fight could harm the party's chances in November.
Steve Inskeep and NPR News Analyst Juan Williams talk about Pelosi's comments on superdelegates, the influential political players who could decide the presidential nominee.
The voter turnout and the money that has been contributed to both senators is evidence of a significant advantage for the Democrats going into the fall, and the idea that that might be depressed is a real concern among party leaders, Williams says.
The leadership of the Democratic Party wants to force a decision before the Aug. 25 convention, he says. "There's talk of a mini-convention of superdelegates ... right after the 10 remaining contests in June. ... They want to force it, and the question is, is it fair to either candidate?"
"Pelosi wants a decision now — I think that's what we're hearing from her in no uncertain terms," Williams says.
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