Gloating and grinning, losing and sulking

seem to be the order of the day - or they were yesterday.
In this house we were quietly relieved by the result of the federal election. We haven't cheered or gloated. We are hoping that our local member will be returned but that result is still too close to call.
In the wider community though it seems to be a different story.
The Senior Cat went out with Middle Cat so, apart from things that needed to be done here, I went off to the "Farmers' Market" to get something I cannot buy at the greengrocer. It's a thirty minute pedal away so it isn't something I do unless there is a special reason to do it.
The market is one of those places people who are "environmentally conscious" use. I think it would be fair to say that many of those who go would be on the left side of politics and quite a lot of them would vote for the Greens. There's nothing wrong with that. The way they vote is their business anyway.
What was my business was getting out of the way of two people, one of whom was so incensed by the election result that he lashed out at another person who simply said very mildly, "No mate, I didn't vote Greens."
Fortunately for me I was at a stall where the owner whisked me behind the counter. The only thing knocked over was a box of bags of oranges. Perhaps that was enough to make the offender see sense. It could have been very nasty.
I didn't wander around looking. I just picked up the marmalade fruit and left. As I went though I could hear people talking.
    "Great result."
    "Unbelievable. We were ahead in the polls all the way."
    "A disaster for the country."
    "Wiped the smirk of his face."
    "We shouldn't have lost. Heads will roll."
    "What a waste of money all that was. We would be better off with a one party system."
    "I bet on the wrong side but still got my money back. Silly buggers paid out before the results went through." (They did too - someone collected $128,000 for backing the losers.)
    "We'll win the next one though - and in a landslide."
    "Yeah - we can really lay into them though. Union is up for it."
And so it went on. The head of the union movement is already claiming that the re-elected government doesn't have a mandate for industrial relations. (I met one of her underlings on the way out and he told me action is already being planned.)
I was asked how I had voted and whether I was pleased with the results. My responses no doubt frustrated those who asked me. I might talk politics here but I don't anyone lashing out at me in the market.
And there should be no gloating, just a determination to do the best possible job for the country. Losing and sulking isn't going to help either.