Saad Amer Mobilizes Voters With Celebrities and Instagram Filters
The Arab-American voters are going strong because of the work done by some high profile public figures, who mobilize their followers with celebrity endorsements and use social media in their efforts to encourage and mobilize voters.
In a recent tweet on April 8, 2012 about the impending release of a new movie titled “American Sniper,” Sami Shoukry, a writer for The Dallas Morning News, wrote: “As a proud Arab American, I was excited to see the movie. I hope it inspires others to see what the power of American citizenship really means.”
The tweet was retweeted 17 times within minutes by users like Alayna Al-Ghamdi, a student at the University of North Texas, who wrote: “As a proud Arab American, a proud Republican and someone who has to be politically accurate, I’m voting. My heart goes out to the victims, but I’ll be voting for Obama/Biden #AmericanSniper!” (Alhamdulillah (“Praise be”), she continued.)
Shoukry’s tweet was also retweeted by celebrities like actress and comedian Amy Schumer; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, D-Nc., a former governor of North Carolina, who wrote: “I have the honor of being a veteran and proud to call myself a conservative. I’m voting for Obama-Biden for president and I hope the movie inspires others to vote and make their voices heard at this critical time in our country’s history. #AmericanSniper.”
Shoukry then wrote: “I hope all Americans remember that we are not just one nation, but a nation built on the values of diversity and tolerance, and that we have a duty to recognize the contributions of immigrants and all that they have given to make the U.S. the great country we are today.”