What are superdelagates?

Answer 1

At the time of the DNC Convention, each candidate will have had the opportunity to win as many delegates as are practical.

All committed delegates are supposedly required to vote for their candidate on the first ballot. If there is no victor, they move to a second ballot. Everybody is allowed to switch.

At the time of the voting, the super delegates come into play. They are the party loyalists who are selected by the politically powerful within the Democrat Party. For example, every Democrat in each house is a super delegate.

The votes of the committed delegates are clear, prior to the voting. In the Democrat Party, the committed delegates can change their mind prior to the first ballot.

The super delegates have votes that are not tied to the elected delegates. The super delegates are required to vote as they are told or face party discipline. These super delegates have votes that are above and beyond the numbers tallied by the contestants. That is, they are 'ADDED TO the totals already there.'

It is because of these super delegates one can surmise the standard bearer will be the distaff candidate. Source: http://answers.Yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080303102945AA1a828