Well, not directly. I agree wholeheartedly with your rant about getting involved with local politics, primaries etc. But the Establishment does control huge amounts of campaign money and can "starve out" candidates who don't kowtow to their demands.
Right now, for instance, Jeb Bush is hastily sopping up early Establishment campaign cash through his family's vast network of funding sources, and some think that will make it difficult for others to compete. Our opponents understand this very well. The acronym EMILY in EMILY's List means: Early Money Is Like Yeast. We need to open our wallets wider for our candidates when possible.
“Right now, for instance, Jeb Bush is hastily sopping up early Establishment campaign cash through his family’s vast network of funding sources, and some think that will make it difficult for others to compete. “
That’s how they locked up the nomination for Dubya in 2000. It seemed like a done deal before the primaries even began.