So it’s easy to understand why Obama observers were caught a little on their heels this summer when he came off the bench to involve himself in Prop 50, a state ballot measure intended to rig California’s congressional map to the benefit of Democrats. Californians are scheduled to vote on it on Nov. 4. Long a critic of partisan gerrymandering, Obama found a new position after President Donald Trump began steering Texas to a mid-decade do-over of U.S. House maps, which are normally done only in the wake of a new U.S. Census. Trump and Texas Republicans were nakedly political in their effort to eliminate seats occupied by Democrats in order to give the GOP a better shot at holding the majority after next year’s elections.