Considering what a stupid and reckless notion encouraging "martial law" was, I tend to think that neither one of them understood what they were asking for. That truly is something that would happen in a banana republic.
In this case, it's probably better for them to be seen as ignorant, rather than having people believe that they truly wanted the President of the United States to order military intervention to overturn the outcome of his own defeat in a democratic system of elections. They are idiots either way.
.... but your explanation is a possibility, I guess.