I asked 20- and 30-somethings in a column last month what issues are important to this group. The answers surprised me.

The e-mailed responses gave glancing attention to headline-grabbing issues such as the environment, Iraq, transportation and education. The common theme was a desire for a more nuanced political discussion and candidates, not parties, worth believing in. Words like integrity and ethics peppered the replies.

[snip]

Emmett O'Connell, a 29-year-old respondent from Olympia, summed it up best during a telephone interview this week: "People see the parties being solely focused on winning elections, so they don't want to get involved."

O'Connell is not a bystander. He is the Web master for America For Richardson, the unofficial site for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's possible run for president. O'Connell also writes for a number of blogs, including Western Democrat and Olympia Time.

Even with an insider's view, O'Connell craves what the other respondents want.

"More than anything, we want authenticity," he wrote. "We're the generation of cable television, telemarketing, infomercials and junk mail. We don't want to be sold; rather, we want to be engaged."

Way to represent Emmett!