Absolutely, they should call it what it is instead of sugar coating it.

Thought this might be interesting for some:

The term dates to 1812, when Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a bill redrawing state Senate districts to benefit the Democratic-Republican Party. Some thought an oddly shaped district looked like a salamander. A newspaper illustration dubbed it “The Gerry-mander” — a term that later came to describe any district drawn for political advantage.

Source - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/is-political-gerrymandering-illegal-6-things-to-know-as-texas-dispute-carries-on

Hey media, California isn’t ‘jousting’ for advantage. California is only posturing as a defense against Texas’ un-democratic aggression.