All the feisty talk from Sen. Hillary Clinton and her campaign advisers Wednesday couldn't dispel the growing perception among Democrats that the party's presidential race is nearly over, and that Sen. Barack Obama is going to be the winner.

Tuesday's dual primaries technically yielded a split decision, as expected. But once Democrats grasped the final results -- Sen. Clinton's near-loss in Indiana's primary, where she recently was heavily favored, and her larger-than-expected defeat in North Carolina -- the New York senator took on the air of a loser, even to many of her own supporters.

"The air is completely let out of them," said first-term Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, who is uncommitted to either candidate, referring to the Clinton supporters among his congressional colleagues. "They are resigned to the fact that it's probably not going to work out."

Suddenly, a primary day that few expected to be decisive in the Democrats' long and close contest was interpreted on all sides as a game-changer. The first female with a serious shot at a major party's nomination, and election to the presidency, appeared to have fallen irrevocably behind, giving way to the first African-American likewise considered a viable contender for the same goal.

Many Democrats, weary of the extended contest, were relieved that a conclusion may be near. But the remaining endgame could be fraught, as party leaders attempt to unify two campaigns backed by millions of passionate supporters. How that process plays out could affect the ultimate nominee's ability to take on the Republicans' likely nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The day's first news set the tone: Former South Dakota Sen. George McGovern, whose 1972 presidential campaign had been Bill and Hillary Clinton's baptism in national politics, issued a statement switching his support to Sen. Obama. He urged Sen. Clinton to quit for the good of the party. Also on Wednesday, the Clinton campaign acknowledged that the senator had made three loans to her strapped campaign since mid-April, totaling $6.4 million, on top of an earlier $5 million infusion.

The senator, already campaigning in West Virginia for its primary next Tuesday, convened a brief news conference there to defiantly dismiss the developments. "We should stay focused on nominating the stronger candidate against Sen. McCain," she said, referring to herself. As for the loan, she said, "it is a sign of my commitment to this campaign."

But a number of party leaders were deciding that Sen. Obama would be the stronger rival to Sen. McCain. Four more "superdelegates," party leaders with automatic votes at Democrats' national nominating convention this August, announced their support on Wednesday for Sen. Obama. One of them, Virginia State Rep. Jennifer McClellan, had previously endorsed Sen. Clinton. "I think the time has come to support Sen. Obama as the likely nominee," she told reporters. "Given what happened last night, it's very unlikely we will have a different result."

Sen. Clinton did get implicit nods from two conservative first-term congressmen. But both said they were merely following the lead of voters in their North Carolina and Indiana districts, which went for Sen. Clinton on Tuesday, rather than endorsing her.

Despite the public bluster in a conference call with reporters Wednesday, some Clinton advisers were resigned to their candidate's likely loss. They have turned in favor of her bowing out for party unity, according to several who asked not to be named. Only a few are said to be urging her to fight on, even to the Aug. 25-28 convention in Denver. Among these voices, the loudest belongs to her husband, former President Clinton, according to one longtime Democratic Party insider and Clinton supporter.

This Democrat speculated that Sen. Clinton will stay in the race through Tuesday's primary in West Virginia, a mostly white and working-class state which she is favored to win, but may well suspend her campaign after May 20, if she doesn't do well in that day's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky.

Path to Victory

Publicly, Clinton advisers mapped out what communications director Howard Wolfson called her "path to victory." It first envisions Sen. Clinton winning next week in West Virginia, then doing well in the other five contests, though Sen. Obama is favored in several.

Mr. Wolfson, asked if campaign advisers had discussed whether Sen. Clinton should drop out, was brief: "No."

The key to success for Sen. Clinton is to win her disputed claim to a majority of the 366 delegates from Michigan and Florida. The party disallowed both delegations because the states held primaries in January earlier than party rules allow. Sen. Clinton won both, though no candidates campaigned in the states due to the party's sanction. Sen. Obama and several other Democratic contenders at the time removed their names from the Michigan ballot. Party talks to reach a compromise to seat them have so far been fruitless.

But even the admission of Michigan and Florida wouldn't be enough for Sen. Clinton to overtake Sen. Obama's lead in delegates. So her hopes ultimately hinge on what is proving harder than ever after Tuesday's outcome: persuading superdelegates that she would be a better candidate against Sen. McCain than the less-experienced, less-battle-tested Sen. Obama.

The superdelegates are critical because neither Sen. Obama nor Sen. Clinton can build a nominating majority from the pledged delegates yet to be won in the six remaining primaries through June 3.

That means the main action in the nomination race has shifted to the Capitol. There, a virtual presidential primary is playing out behind the scenes among elected Democrats. House Democrats account for 235 of the 795 superdelegates. All of these representatives are up for re-election, so they are particularly interested in which candidate is at the top of the ballot. So far, 80 have come out for Sen. Obama, with 79 for Sen. Clinton. The other 76 remain uncommitted.

Sen. Obama only recently passed Sen. Clinton in endorsements from governors and members of Congress. As the former first lady and a two-term senator, Sen. Clinton began the election year with an early, big lead in endorsements, but picked up few subsequently. Since February, Sen. Obama's endorsements have exceeded hers by a margin of 5 to 1 as many in the party establishment signaled their desire -- along with the voters -- for a new face promising change in Washington.

After her morning campaigning in West Virginia, Sen. Clinton hustled back to Washington to meet individually with uncommitted House Democrats at party offices away from the Capitol.

'Resolute and Determined'

She met with a handful of uncommitted superdelegates Wednesday at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, including Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney. The freshman congressman, fighting to hold on to his House seat in a Republican-leaning district, is among the vulnerable Democrats whom House leaders have advised not to take sides lest they anger voters.

Mr. Mahoney remains uncommitted. But he said of Sen. Clinton: "She's still resolute and determined and I have a lot of respect for her. She still believes she is the best candidate for the party."

Yet Sen. Obama's better-than-expected showings Tuesday persuaded many elected officials that he had weathered weeks of damaging controversy, especially over his relationship with his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. The minister's inflammatory sermons were widely debated, alienated many white voters and raised questions about the senator's own values, racial tolerance and patriotism.

In addition, members of Congress have marveled at the Obama campaign's success -- repeated in North Carolina and Indiana on Tuesday -- in mobilizing volunteers and tens of thousands of first-time voters, especially younger ones and African-Americans. "Where do all these 20-somethings come from?" said Rep. David Price of North Carolina, who saw Sen. Obama's organization at work throughout his state and recently endorsed him.

Even some congressional Democrats who privately confide that they don't think Sen. Obama can be elected president believe they can benefit from the new voters he'd likely draw in November. Sen. Clinton is too polarizing, these members say. Worse, her nomination could depress the Democratic vote if the new Obama voters believe he was cheated out of the nomination.

Sen. Obama remained home in Chicago on Wednesday with his wife and two young daughters. But he phoned a number of superdelegates, advisers say. He returns to Washington on Wednesday, and will meet with and phone others.

Later this week, the candidate travels to Oregon to campaign for its Democratic primary. But advisers are also planning visits to states that are critical to victory in November -- signaling the start of a general-election campaign.

Sen. Obama leads in pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses, in the overall popular vote and in the number of contests won. By his campaign's estimate, he won a net 13 delegates more than Sen. Clinton in the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, where a total 187 were at stake. He now has 1,847 delegates to Sen. Clinton's 1,696, according to the Associated Press. He is 178 short of the 2,025 needed for nomination, not including Michigan and Florida. Sen. Clinton needs 329.

Yet it is virtually impossible for her to overtake Sen. Obama's delegate lead for two reasons. First, just 217 pledged delegates remain up for grabs in the final contests. Party rules award these delegates proportionately according to each candidate's vote, so Sen. Obama would receive many even in states he loses. Second, a Clinton victory would require scores of superdelegate endorsements, and most have been going to Sen. Obama. That has left the Clinton campaign hoping for a development so damaging to Sen. Obama that superdelegates would decide he is unelectable and jump to Sen. Clinton.

Intraparty Brawling

Meanwhile, elected officials are eager to stop the intraparty brawling and get on with the fight against Sen. McCain, who effectively locked up his nomination two months ago and has been campaigning for the November election and uniting a party demoralized by the unpopularity of the Bush administration.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, Sen. Obama's birthplace, said the goal of Obama supporters is to rack up superdelegates' endorsements before a May 31 meeting of the national party's rules and bylaws committee that has been scheduled to settle the Florida and Michigan matter. That would signal Sen. Obama's likely nomination, and facilitate a compromise acceptable to the Obama camp.

So confident are Obama supporters in Congress that some have begun talking of his convention acceptance speech this August. Sen. Obama first gained broad recognition for his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, when he was seeking election to the U.S. Senate. As one Democrat noted, if Sen. Obama were nominated, his acceptance address would be the night of Aug. 28 -- the 45th anniversary of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.

By JACKIE CALMES and SUSAN DAVIS, The Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008