So Election Day, in myriad ways, is an event of extreme self-interest for editorial artists.

Forget about how they’re voting. The question of their profession becomes: Whom are they pulling for as a satirist? Whom would they rather study and skewer for the next four years, if not beyond?

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Nine top political cartoonists had their campaign handiwork on display last week in Washington, for an event titled “Hillary vs. Trump Cartoon Debate.”

Here is how those cartoonists responded when asked: President Trump or President Clinton — which would be better for you as a cartoonist?

MATT WUERKER (Politico):

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I’m okay with either — as a cartoonist. I think it’s safe to say there will be no shortage of surprises, shenanigans and scandals, no matter who wins.

Another old cliché about Washington is that D.C. is like a cruise ship, and every new administration results in a turnover of the crew and passengers. No matter who is involved in the coming turnover, it’s becoming clear the ship is pretty messed up, the rudder is broken and the new crew, like the old crew, will be unruly. It will not be a smooth cruise.

Given all that, there clearly will be no shortage of things to cartoon about. I just hope to not get too seasick.

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The chaos that a Trump presidency would unleash would likely supply more cartoon fodder. My professional challenge would be: How do you make a train wreck funny?

President Hillary’s reign would be a close second, with her loudmouth opponents in and out of Washington helping cartoonists with their bombast and grist.

ANN TELNAES (Washingtonpost.com):

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I’m not sure which one would bring out my best work, since both administrations would open up issues I’ve commented on for years and that I have strong opinions about. Trump has already said he wants to curtail freedom of speech — specifically for the press — and I’m sure he would go after the satirists just as Turkey’s President Erdogan has, since they both appear to have the same thickness of skin.

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I have no doubt if Hillary becomes president, we will see just how deep sexism runs in American society and politics.

I guess if I had to choose between the two [sides], both which would definitely energize my creativity, I’d have to choose a Hillary presidency — since at least I’d be able to draw outside of a prison cell.

MIKE LESTER (Post Writers Group):

Before the 2008 election, my liberal friends were telling me Obama would be good for [me as a] cartoonist. That didn’t turn out to be the case with the first black president. I see no reason to think the first female president would be any different.

DARYL CAGLE (Cagle Cartoons):

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I think Hillary will be better for me as a cartoonist. She has a wonderful depth of character for cartoonists, with lots of old stories that everyone knows; she comes with Bill Clinton — and she doesn’t know that she is funny, which is funny.

If Trump wins, brace for four years of lousy, Trump-monster-name-calling-cartoons.

TOM TOLES (The Washington Post):

I can’t even contemplate a President Trump. I think it would be the biggest political mistake I’ve seen in my lifetime. That leaves Clinton. We’ll have to see which way she takes her administration.

STEVE ARTLEY (Artleytoons.com):

I can easily capture the one dimensional, Donald Trump in a few lines. He has two expressions: the freshly fed, self-satisfied Cheshire Cat grin and his ever pervasive pedantic blowfish look. Combined with his outrageous statements, he’s easy to lampoon. Hillary Clinton is more complex, multi-dimensional and harder to read. I find her a challenge every time I try to render her caricature.

MICHAEL RAMIREZ (Weekly Standard):

I think either will be good for cartoonists. They are both deeply flawed candidates. On the other hand, I have never had a problem with trying to cartoon against any administration. Even the best candidates for president will ultimately enact policies that we will disagree with at some point. America has some very acute and severe problems; whoever gets elected president will have their hands full.

RICK McKEE (Augusta Chronicle):

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It’s a toss-up. Trump would be so much fun because he’s a walking cartoon character, from his looks to his mannerisms to his willingness to say the looniest stuff. He would be an endless source of material.

A President Hillary would be so wonderful for a conservative cartoonist like myself, because she’s such a scandal machine. Most cartoonists tend to skew left, so they might not be as willing to go after Hillary with the same gusto. You toss Bill in the mix and you’ve got the recipe for cartoonist heaven.

Either way, cartoonists win!