Political Cartoons Are on Exhibit at Hofstra EDITORIAL cartoonists, who wield their pens like darts, probably never lack for targets. But if Hofstra University's exhibition "Political Slant: Editorial Cartoons" is any indication, nothing beats a presidential election year for good material. The foibles of Republicans and Democrats, excesses of the presidential campaign, failings of Congress, fallout of the recession - just for starters - are all grist for commentary in "Political Slant," which features the work of five contemporary cartoonists, including three Pulitzer Prize winners. The free exhibition runs through Dec. 21 at the David Filderman Gallery, in the university's Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library. Not coincidentally, Hofstra was the site of the second presidential debate, on Oct. 16. It also hosted the final debate in 2008. When the planning for "Political Slant" began three years ago, "we knew Hofstra was going to put in a bid for another debate," said Beth E. Levinthal, executive director of the Hofstra University Museum. "And we knew it was the political season," Ms. Levinthal said, making the show timely in any event. Karen T. Albert, the Hofstra Museum's associate director of exhibitions and collections, then rounded up the cartoonists: Walt Handelsman of Newsday, the Long Island-based daily; Jimmy Margulies of The Record, in New Jersey; Mike Keefe, formerly of The Denver Post; Steve Kelley, who until earlier this year was with The Times-Picayune, in New Orleans; and Signe Wilkinson of the Philadelphia Daily News. The Pulitzer winners are Mr. Keefe, Ms. Wilkinson and Mr. Handelsman, who has won twice, in 1997 (while at The Times-Picayune), and in 2007. Ms. Wilkinson is the only woman among the approximately 55 full-time staff editorial cartoonists in the United States, according to John Cole, the president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Pieces by the 19th-century cartoonist Thomas Nast, who was the first to use the donkey and the elephant to represent the Democratic and Republican Parties, are also on view. The show is organized into five topics: the economy, presidential elections, education, human rights and war. "These editorial cartoonists often work on the same themes, but they have different takes on it," Ms. Albert said. Not surprisingly, the economy comes up repeatedly. In Mr. Handelsman's "Economic Indicators," for example, two bemused figures try to decipher a painting composed of arrows pointing in multiple directions. The colorful cartoon, based on similar arrow-motif paintings he created in high school, "was a fun and artsy way to illustrate the difficulty people have in knowing which way the economy is going," Mr. Handelsman said. "It's very challenging," he continued, "when economists say "new housing prices are up," and then others say "housing values are down" or you get a conflicting report." Another take on the economy is Mike Keefe's 2011 "Upward Mobility," featuring four escalators: Two, labeled "jobs" and "savings," are headed in a downward direction; a third, labeled "debt," is going up. The fourth, labeled "American Upward Mobility," isn't going anywhere - its entrance is barred by an "Out of Order" sign. Caricature, the exaggeration of physical features, is a time-honored tradition of political cartooning. "It's useful, because it's a way to take these people in public life, and show they're human, too," said Mr. Margulies, who emphasizes President Obama's prominent ears and elongated chin in his "Buffett Rule," a selection in the show. The president's ears, as well as Mitt Romney's granite jaw, are often in evidence in "Political Slant." But the essence of caricaturing political figures "is to make a point, not to say they're funny-looking - that lets them off the hook," Mr. Margulies said. In the show, he also weighs in on unemployment, student debt and American involvement overseas - all of them campaign issues. "This time every four years, with the presidential campaign, it's sort of like being an accountant in the days leading up to April 15 - it's my busy season," Mr. Margulies said. Steve Kelley's "Halftime in the Campaign," which borrows football terminology to suggest public debate-fatigue, is one of several cartoons displayed not only as a final version, but also in preliminary sketch form. "We wanted to make people understand that they still draw," Ms. Albert said of the cartoonists. A touch-screen kiosk in the gallery provides additional information on the five artists and the history of political cartoons. Several cartoons criticize standardized student testing as a measure of school accomplishment. Among them, "School Test-Taking Basics" by Ms. Wilkinson zeros in on dishonest results: on the left of her cartoon, a student's hand writes a test answer; on the right, a school administrator's hand erases one. The cartoon, Ms. Wilkinson said, "was particularly pegged to a cheating scandal in Philadelphia," though test-tampering also occurred elsewhere. Political cartoons do not really change people's minds, Ms. Wilkinson said, "but they're important to grease the wheels of public discourse, and to give people a different way to imagine an issue." "Political Slant: Editorial Cartoons," through Dec. 21 at the David Filderman Gallery, Axinn Library, Hofstra University. "Music: The Voice of the People," a related program of politically oriented music, will be held Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Rochelle and Irwin A. Lowenfeld Conference and Exhibition Hall, also in the library. Concert admission is $10 ($7 for those 65 and over). Information for both: hofstra.edu/museum; (516) 463-5672.