Every ten years, political operatives use the process of redistricting as an excuse to benefit their own party. They redraw districts to corral hostile voters into as few districts as possible, while dividing the remaining ones into friendly districts. This leads to congressional districts that look like they were designed by Picasso.
Last Tuesday, Democrats won the popular vote in the House races, and yet the Republicans still ended up with 33 more seats. This happened only because Republicans controlled the state legislatures in 2011 when the districts were redrawn.
It's 2012. Computers should draw districts, not partisans. No one knows what the political landscape will look like in 2020, and no one knows who will have the advantage. The time to end gerrymandering is now.