Candidates seek out party officials (super delegates) who have voting privilege at the convention. These party elite pledge allegiance to a candidate and promise to represent them at the convention. There are already votes in place for the convention. In the Nebraska primary , the voters elect actual delegates to the convention (who are aligned to certain candidates) in addition to voting for an actual candidate. It's possible for a candidate to win the popular vote, but not get votes for the delegates who are actually going to the convention. (dumb huckabeeing hick voters) The Clinton campaign has already secured many elected officials (super delgates). It's one reason so many elected Democrats could not speak in favor of Obama -- they had become betrothed to Hillary (b/c they didn't realize Barack would resonate with the populace)

Quote: WASHINGTON - It’s called the Democratic Party, but one aspect of the party’s nominating process is at odds with grass-roots democracy. Voters don’t choose the 842 unpledged “super-delegates” who comprise nearly 40 percent of the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. The category includes Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former vice president Al Gore, retired congressional leaders such as Dick Gephardt, and all Democratic National Committee members, some of whom are appointed by party chairman Howard Dean.[SNIP] In the two weeks following the Iowa caucuses, 36 of 132 Dean's super-delegates peeled away from him; while John Kerry's tally jumped from 74 to 102. Other super-delegates who had delayed endorsing jumped on Kerry's bandwagon.