The so-called superdelegates are not faster than a speeding bullet, not more powerful than a locomotive and not able to leap tall buildings with a single bound.

But this summer, the Democratic Party's super delegates may pick the next president of the United States.

Few people had a bigger role in creating the superdelegates than three local Democrats -- former Gov. Jim Hunt of Wilson, U.S. Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill and former Gov. Terry Sanford of Durham.

Hunt was chairman of the Democratic Commission on Presidential Nominations, which created the superdelegates in 1982. Price, then a Duke University political science professor, was the commission's staff director.

At the time, their work was described as "a centrist coup" to make Democratic presidential candidates more electable.

Here is the back story. In the 1970s, the liberal wing had taken control of the party. Two political outsiders -- George McGovern and Jimmy Carter -- had captured the nomination. One was too liberal for the American people, and the other was a loner who found it difficult to work with a Democratic Congress.

The commission changes were pushed through by the Democratic Party's old guard -- the state party chairmen, labor leaders and elected officials who had seen their power in presidential politics erode.

Pushing behind the scenes was Sanford, then the president of Duke University, who had written a 1981 book, "A Danger of Democracy." It warned that the Democratic Party had become a collection of competing special interest groups that lacked the coherence to win or govern. Sanford wanted convention delegates to have the flexibility to choose a presidential nominee, not just rubber-stamp a decision.

Another behind-the-scenes player was former Vice President Walter Mondale, who used the new rules in 1984 to beat Sen. Gary Hart at the San Francisco convention. (One of the unintended consequences was that Mondale lost to Ronald Reagan in a landslide, helping Republican Jesse Helms defeat Hunt in the 1984 Senate race.)

Two of the leading critics of the changes were the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who would run for president in 1984, who thought adding superdelegates would work against minorities. He was joined by U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy who saw superdelegates as limiting the chances of a liberal being nominated. There were also concerns that the change would stymie a potential female nominee.

The Hunt commission proposed that 14 percent of the delegates to the national convention be elected or party leaders who would be automatic delegates by virtue of their position. In later years, the number of unpledged delegates was increased to 20 percent.

Now, supporters of Sen. Barack Obama worry that he will go into the convention in August with a delegate lead but that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will win a majority of super delegates to capture the nomination.

Price, who has moved from political scholar to practicing politician, worries about the divisive repercussions of such a scenario.

But Price, who had endorsed former Sen. John Edwards for president, said it is unlikely that the super delegates will pick the Democratic nominee.

"I think the chances are that these remaining [primary] contests will tilt the convention one way or the other," Price said. "I do hope that is the way it works."