PT How did Palpatine know the Senate couldn't handle the invasion?

How did Palpatine know the senate, or Chancellor Vallorum, wouldn't be able to handle the invasion of Naboo?

 

Probably figured that through inaction, Vallorum was showing he was powerless to protect a planet within the Republic that was under attack. That said, didn't he (Vallorum) dispatch the Jedi to go check out what was what?

 

So you're saying that it might be implied that during the time before the Phantom Menace (never actually showed on screen), Palpatine recognized Valorum as simply a poor Chancellor?

And as to your question, yes, according to wikipedia, he did ( http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace ). What are you implying through this?

 

Just wanted to make sure I got the facts right. Been years since I've seen the movie.

 

Maybe he saw it through the force?

 

Palps was a master at using the Force to see possible future outcomes, and then manipulating things to move in the direction of his desire. And it worked out pretty well for him for decades.

 

It's not that Valorum is a "poor" Chancellor, it's that the Senate is mired in corruption (funded by Palpatine and the Trade Federation, no doubt) and the strength of the Chancellor, any Chancellor, is in the hands of the bureaucrats (Mas Amedda), who are on the payroll of the Trade Federation.

Palpatine knew because he was the one behind the very schemes that paralyzed the Senate.

It's like asking how a mob boss knew a game he fixed would turn out the way it did. Of course the mob boss knew, he fixed the game.

 

HE is Naboo's Senator. It's rather difficult to get stuff done if he doesn't want them to I imagine.

 

Palpatine said something to the effect of I will keep things as they are in the Senate implying that he had a very strong influence over what happened there. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Palpatine engineered things so that Valorum had to give in to the TF's demands. I'm sure there's EU material that actually details this. I'll have look on Wookieepedia.

 

I don't remember the details from the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure that's the idea in J. Luceno's Darth Plagueis.

 

I agree that Palpatine was a master at forseeing events, but even his visions weren't always perfect. I think Vallorum dispatching the Jedi was something Palpatine may not have anticipated, and so he attempted to have them eliminated. Palpatine needed the invasion of Naboo to play out so that he could continue to manipulate the circumstances so that he could become Chancellor. If the Jedi succeeded, that possibility would've gone down the drain. So while Palpatine saw how things could potentially work out in the bigger, long-term picture, he had to keep moving the chest pieces to stay a step ahead. Inaction on the part of the Chancellor to effectively quell the crisis would be the last thing he needed in order to be moved into position for election.

 

It's the idea in the damn movie.

The quotes may not be exact, but they're close enough. This is actually said in the movie.

Luceno does fill in tiny details to a plot point that's already there, either in Darth Plagueis or Cloak of Deception, or maybe both.

 

I don't recall the exact details off the top of my head, but I believe in one iteration of the script, it was said that Valorum was involved in a scandal of some kind, and he was basically having his arm twisted to abide to the whims of the bureaucratic senators.

It's obvious that this wasn't a popular status quo, since the moment Padme calls for a vote of no confidence, the entire senate pretty much jumps to her side and ousts him. Valorum tried to help Padme in secretly dispatching Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to resolve the issue, but when they were unable to do so and Padme was stuck going through the proper government channels, Valorum was effectively blocked by the bureaucrats, like Aks Moe, that wanted to appoint a commission and stall any action. And as Palpatine states, these individuals are on the payroll of the Trade Federation. And the Trade Federation is answering to Sidious.

EDIT: The difference in the script that I referred to is only of minor difference compared to the quote above by CT-867-5309

 

Because Valorum was bogged down with a manufactured scandal about his administration that made him weak in the Senate. He didn't have enough leverage in that body to garner support. That's why he had to secretly dispatch two jedi knights. They were his only option to settle things. Valorum's government was weakened considerably and Palps saw an opportunity to bring him down and seize the chancellorship and head of government. The jedi were the last stumbling block in his way.

Valorum sending the jedi was not a part of Sidious' plan. That was why Sidious was PO'ed when Gunray told him about their involvement.

 

The senate was always slow to act and Palps would be well aware of how to manipulate the system to slow it down if need be. Vallorum's leadership was already being questioned. Palps wouldn't even need access to the force to figure it out.

 

1. Palpatine had repeatedly seen the Senate and Valorum fail to deal with any of the galaxy's problems, so why would the Invasion of Naboo be any different?

2. In ROTS, Mas Amedda sees Palpatine use Force Lightning and doesn't care at all. This suggests that Amedda knows that Palpatine is Sidious and is actively helping him become Emperor of the galaxy.

 

Read Cloak of Deception and Darth Plagueis

 

Valorum was a filthy Anti-Nabooite.