Political debate has come a long way in this country since the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. The series of debates between Democratic Sen. Stephen Douglas and his Republican opponent Abraham Lincoln remain one of the United States’ finest moments in civil discourse. Today, that civilized exchange of ideas has been replaced by an angry back-and-forth between two wary political camps.

The reality is that this paper and this campus have done no better. But blaming one camp or the other for this sad state of affairs is a tired game we don’t need to start here.

Instead, we should take a long, hard look at the quality of debate we’ve had this year and how we can elevate the tone of that debate next year. As the chief paper and main forum for political debate on campus, The Minnesota Daily has an obligation to lead this process.

The Daily should start by recognizing that its ability to foster campus debate and keep its readers informed is severely limited with an editorials page that lacks genuine political diversity. Campus Republicans and conservatives should know there is no ideological litmus test to work at the Daily. We all need to remember that no one wins when the right-left divide on campus is confined to liberal opinions pieces and bitterly conservative letters to the editor. The Daily should be in the business of helping students make up their own minds, and that can’t happen when our readers only get half the story.

This campus largely reflects the country as a whole. Nearly 20 percent of students consider themselves conservative or far to the political right. Close to half the student body plants itself firmly in the middle, as does much of the country. We do a disservice to the entire campus when those views cannot be found in the paper. The Daily should commit itself to reflecting the views of its readership. In doing so, we would bring ourselves one step closer to a truly civil political debate.