Perhaps someone could enlighten me on this....when did the super-delegate process start (for either party)?
Started from the start.
It used to be only delegates.
This popular vote stuff came later.
the Democrats use this system....in 1972, grass roots hard leftist rose up an made George McGovern the nominee against Richard Nixon. McGovern was very anti war, and the loons just loved him. Anyway, in the election, Nixon just destroyed him, winning 49 states, and after that, the party bosses swore it would never happen again...and came up with the “super delegate” scheme, and as you saw this year, it served its purpose...Sanders lost.
In its current format for the Dems, 1984.