We are in the middle of arguably the most unique and buzz-worthy election of the last few years. It’s dominating the airwaves, from the news to political attack ads. We all know the DNA of an attack ad, and it seems like Earth isn’t the only place in the galaxy that likes to go negative. Check out this completely accurate and hilarious political attack ad about Princess Leia and how she’s a total hypocrite.
This video comes from the official Star Wars YouTube account and it’s absolutely amazing. It hits the attack ad format and editing right on the head. It’s also supported by surprisingly real facts. She really should not be in public office. Leia technically isn’t a princess, her father was a mass murderer, she was married to a (reformed) criminal, and she didn’t give Chewbacca a medal for some reason. If she were a real person, I don’t know if even I would be comfortable voting for her. She does get points for killing Jabba the Hutt, though. He was as much an "entrepreneur" as he was handsome.
Though this video may be topical, it was actually released to promote the new Star Wars novel Bloodlines, which focuses on Leia trying to deal with unrest in the New Republic. Sounds exciting, I know, but the novel does reveal some interesting new details about the state of the galaxy after the battle of Endor. Taking place some years after Return of the Jedi, but still well before Force Awakens, Bloodlines follows Leia’s political career and her mission to bring peace to the galaxy. This is made difficult by the two disputing factions of the New Republic: The Populists and the Centrists. The Populists (of which Leia is a member) believe that power should be divided equally amongst every planet, while the Centrists (who paid for that slander video above) believe there should be a central galactic government and a larger military.
The dispute between the two parties eventually leads to the call for there to be an election for First Senator, a position that is basically the same as the Chancellor in everything but name. The Populists nominate Leia, and I won’t spoil the details, but it doesn’t turn out very well for her.
The novel also reveals some interesting things about what’s going on with Han and Luke. Han and Leia are officially married but basically live separate lives. Han has interestingly enough become a professional starship racer, but we know that won’t last forever seeing as how he was back to smuggling in Force Awakens. Luke is off training Ben Solo, and Leia hasn’t heard from him in a long time. He’s mostly secluded himself from the public eye and has become something of a legend amongst the people.
Star Wars: Bloodlines, written by Claudia Grey, is out now wherever books are sold, so if you’re curious about what’s going on in the galaxy and why there’s always so much political unrest, give it a read.
