This does work in some levels. It works great for county commissioner type positions, and city councils and such. The GOP and DEMOCRATIC parties are heavily corrupt even at local levels and have done everything they can to stop grass roots from being able to take hold in there. I witnessed this firsthand in both 2008 and 2012 when I was heavily involved with the delegate process. In 2012 I stopped just short of nationals, so I did everything available to do in my state. I saw them not in my state but all over follow their own rules when it was convenient and ignore them when it was not. Them = the established seats of authority in the local parties. Convenient = when it reinforced the status quo. Not Convenient = when it attacked the status quo or threatened their authority.

They passed rules in both Dem and GOP in 2012 that made it much worse. Whats worse they had the AYES have it teleprompted as the results of the votes before the vote had even been completed. Was caught by someone on a cell phone.

You can fight local... but it too is becoming increasingly corrupt. I also before all of that did the IT for County Sheriffs, as well as Commisioners and County Administrators offices, and court houses in a small county. Really small... yet even there I caught sight of corruption and conflicts of interest.

I actually almost ran for County Commisioner... I seriously considered it at one point.