From the start of the seven-week campaign, Clinton was favored to win. Only the margin of victory was uncertain, as double-digit poll leads dwindled to single digits within weeks. Obama outspent her by more than two to one.

Pennsylvanians acknowledged the importance of the decision they had to make with record voter registration followed by a high turnout. There were long lines at the ballot booths from dawn to dusk.

That's how elections should be decided - by the popular will of the people. But the possibility persists that the national primary campaign ultimately won't be determined in the usual way.

Due to the proportional awarding of state delegates, Obama still leads in overall elected delegates, even with Clinton's win in Pennsylvania. He also leads in the popular vote by a large margin. His cumulative victories cannot, and should not, be dismissed.

But then there are those 794 "superdelegates." Clinton holds a slim lead among these party officials, with about 245 of them still uncommitted.

Hoping to sway more of those undecided party leaders, the Clinton camp has spoken about taking the contest all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in late August.

No wonder there's worry that this race could be taken out of the hands of the people.

"Taking it to the convention" is usually code for arm-twisting and deal-making in back rooms. She wants to convince delegates that Obama couldn't win the general election against a strong Republican such as John McCain.

Voters would rather the Democratic race be decided on the majority of votes cast and delegates won. They know that if it's decided at the convention, the result could have more to do with which committeemen and committeewomen owe favors to which pooh-bahs.

People have flocked to the polls in large numbers. To have the final decision decided at the convention would be a slap in their faces. It would be an especially dispiriting lesson for the millions of young voters, many voting for the first time.

Clinton's victory in Pennsylvania increases the likelihood of a fractured party at the convention. And a deeply divided party at the convention would be a bad omen for Democrats in the general election.

Some supporters logically still hope Obama and Clinton could form a formidable ticket. Clinton played openly with this suggestion when the Pennsylvania campaign began. But both candidates intensified their personal attacks against each other in the ensuing weeks. The likelihood of an Obama/Clinton ticket, or vice versa, now seems more distant.

As the primary campaign leaves Pennsylvania, voters must ask: Will they choose their nominee or will superdelegates?