Republican CNN Pundit: ‘Other Networks Are Telling’ GOP Voters ‘Everything’s Fine — It’s Not’

While the results were coming in for an extremely close special Congressional election in a Ohio district that has gone Republican since the ’80s, conservative CNN political commentator Mike Shields pointed out that the Republican base needed to pay attention that Democrats are fired up for the midterms. And he also told them not to listen to certain media outlets who are brushing off the possibility the Democrats will take back the House.

With the Ohio-12 race in a virtual tie, Shields was asked by CNN’s Don Lemon if Republicans were scared. After saying they weren’t, the former RNC chief of staff added this election should help serve as a “wake-up call” to GOP voters that they shouldn’t be complacent.

“Every election right now, whether it’s for judge, dogcatcher — Democrats are bringing an 11 on a 10 scale,” he noted. “They’re fired up and showing up. Republicans are off on their fishing boat in August.”

Shields went on to express hope for the GOP by explaining that special elections are different and Republicans lost a number of them in 2010 before taking over the House in the Tea Party Wave. At the same time, he took an implicit shot at Fox News.

“The historic average is that the president’s party loses 26 seats,” Shields stated. “We need to beat history by four seats. Our base needs to watch tonight and say, you know what, other networks are telling them everything’s fine — it’s not.”

Lemon, obviously getting the gist of what Shields was saying, immediately jumped in and asked him to repeat that bit while the rest of the panel laughed.

“They need to quit that,” Shields concluded. “And Republicans need to understand that Nancy Pelosi could be the speaker, the tax cuts could go away, and once they understand that, they will show up in November.”

Watch the clip above, via CNN.