The Papal Conclave started today, with 115 cardinals flocking to the Sistine Chapel. Faithful readers of the Monkey Cage are familiar with political science treatments of Papal elections: here, here, here and here. Now, just in time for balloting in both the Sistine Chapel and the Washington Post Peeps Contest, you might enjoy this Binder-Maltzman (not Forrest) Peeps edition of the Papal Conclave, aka the Peepal Conclave. (Warning: This birds-eye view is still under peep/peer review.)
We outfitted 117* chick Peeps in red felt cardinal suits and cooped them up in a home-made replica of the Sistine Chapel. (H/t Michelangelo.) The blue guy keeping tabs on the proceedings? The Pope’s Peeping Butler is back on the job.
Ever wonder how the Cardinals pass the time in the conclave? We had some ideas: 
The Cardinal Peeps are baking a pizza in the papal stove, sipping espresso, eating gelato, scanning an iPeep, and reading Washington Post stories about the Pope. Unfortunately, Eggs Benedict proved a bit difficult to mold out of clay. (H/t to my GW lunch-room colleagues and Peep-contest pals who helped to hatch the details.)
*The diorama includes two extra birds Cardinals since the Washington Post Peeps Contest entry deadline fell before two papabili dropped out of the Conclave. Birds of a feather don’t always flock together.
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