I think they saw a lot of ordinary citizens come out, not only take up arms against the Feds, but willing to die for their belief. This scares the pundits. They know we - this nation - are very close to the spark that ignites the fire.
When it happens - and I think it will - they know what the upheavel will be and if history shows us, when society upheavel occurs, people use it as an excuse to get even, to account for past wrongs - real or imagined. Those who live in the cities are also concerned because deep down they know that if the flyover parts of this country shut down, they will not survive long.
Karma’s a bitch.
Once the spark to that powder keg is lit, there's no going back and everyone knows it. It's no longer controllable, which is scary as hell.