Insurgents!

Conservative activists, victorious (so far) in New York's 23rd, seek to challenge moderate Republicans across the country for competitive seats. This isn't the first time a party has had an ugly struggle over its purpose and meaning. The difference is that the features of the current system force these debates into the public light, whereas they used to happen behind closed doors (smoke-filled rooms and all that). From the party's perspective, having these ideological squabbles out in the open is a bit like the party equivalent of wearing your dirty underwear on the outside of your clothes - is the liberation worth the embarrassment? Plus, it's a little gross for everyone else. Conservative insurgency robs the Republican Party of its main advantage as the out-party: its message. It might be a little more small-d democratic to let the "people" determine the direction of the party, but the purpose of political parties is not to provide an inclusive organizational structure, it's to provide the electorate with meaningful choices at the ballot box.
Although it might look like a grassroots victory in the short term, the fact that the Republican Party seems to be publicly imploding instead of behind-the-scenes brokering is actually bad for American democracy.