Well Brian - lets see what a selection of the Press are saying. There is no doubt that it is a huge success.
"The Conservative Party turned a local political disaster over the extravagant expense claims of Anthony Steen into triumph by asking every voter in the constituency to help to decide who should replace him as the Tory candidate at next year's election... An operation by the Liberal Democrats, who encouraged Tory opponents in Totnes to vote for Mr Bye, believing him to be the weakest candidate, failed when he came last." - The Times
"Today's turnout exceeded my wildest expectations and just shows that if you trust the people they embrace democracy. I hope Totnes represents a new type of politics, which rejects negative campaigning, and sees openness as a way to restore confidence in public life. I hope over time that the primary process becomes a permanent fixture in British politics." - Party Chairman Eric Pickles quoted in The Guardian
"Once one party adopts open primaries, the others will more or less have to follow. People won't realise it for a while, but today has changed British politics - changed it utterly, permanently and benignly. Dr Wollaston's victory is a giant step towards making our government accountable to the people." - Daniel Hannan on his Telegraph blog
"Higher education minister David Lammy said Labour should end the "tightly-knit" system where only party members selected candidates. Former Transport minister Tom Harris agreed. He said: "The new candidate will have the support already of a large number of voters who will feel they have a vested interest in her success at the general election and beyond." - The Mirror
"Now that its experiment in popular democracy has been succesful, the Conservatives should repeat it and Labour should follow suit... Dr Wollaston's selection must not become an historical curiosity, an eccentric experiment in the wake of a scandal. It should become a template and then a norm." - Times editorial
"The political class in Britain has been sent a message it will ignore at its peril: voters want more say, but without the time-sapping party structures. All political parties must now take note of the Totnes effect." - Herald editorial
And here, listen to a discussion with someone labelled 'a Tory activist' (where do the BBC find them?) and Frank Field, for once I agree totally with the Labour MP against the 'Tory'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8183919.stm
What a contrast this all is to this, Labour's controlling centralised approach. Labour imposes all-women shortlists on half of seats where MPs are retiring - The Times
I know what system I prefer, Brian and who's instincts will have more public appeal.