I'm referring to the intensity. I noticed that it got continually ratcheted up and it was this facet of the Iraq war which contributed to the Dem's win. Now, the terrorists are determined to face down the Dems, who they see as cavilling idiots (not far wrong, IMHO). So they're murdering just as fast as they can.
Is this faulty reasoning?
I believe it is.
The civilian death toll has been on the rise all year, spiking in July and October. Crediting the November elections as the sole factor seems to ignore many other contributing causes (including mounting sectarian polarization, quasi-official backing of militias, and the expected result of an ongoing occupation).
Could the elections have had some effect? Perhaps. But I doubt that a Shia death squad's decision to murder an influential Sunni (or vice versa) is predicated on who the Speaker of the House is.