I find myself often torn between wanting to work within the Party apparatus or to rebel as an outside critic of it. As tempting and self-righteous as working as an outsider may be, to truly create positive change, one must get involved in their local party structure.
As a moderate, I know the challenges involved in many local GOP precincts. Many of these precincts are run and dominated by hard core right-wing activists bent on advocating for a very narrow and exclusive party doctrine. It's not unusual to be shouted down or ignored for having dissenting views as well.