[onyx]

Correct. Grassroots campaigns, and primaries will matter in red states where Republicans are more conservative.

No more locking-up the nomination by winning in big blue states or blue states in the northeast, where Republicans are not conservatives.

I think the changes will definitely benefit Sarah, should she decide to run. Mitt’s money can buy a lot of TV ads, but it’ll come down to getting out the vote and I don’t expect Sarah will be all that short of money either.

[The Pack Knight]

There's an important caveat at the end of the article which was not included in the excerpt:

"The new schedule will go into effect only if the Democratic National Committee adopts similar primary rules before the end of the year."

Also, state governments might have something to say about this and could cause another mess like they did in 2008, with the DNC refusing to seat delegates from Michigan because its primary violated DNC rules by being held too early. We may not have heard the last word.