At first it seems odd that the public are not the least bit swayed by the fact that Leia is as much Padmé Amidala's daughter as she is Vader's. Padmé was the strongest advocate for peace during her short years as senator, and was deeply loved by most of those around her. But it suddenly makes sense when you remember that its's been forty-seven years since Padmé's death in Revenge of the Sith, after which the Empire rose to power. Most of the people Leia addresses to within the New Republic were either born in the final days of the Old Republic, or during the Empire era, so they wouldn't even remember Padmé. From their perspective, Padmé was probably just another glorified politician who was only one of many to meet their demise at the Empire's hands. With the exception of Mon Mothma and presumably a few other senior members, there are likely only a small handful of people alive left who were around during Padmé's lifetime, and let alone met her.
