John McCain Is Calling Barack Obama A Terrorist

McCain's new ad accuses Barack Obama of sending his wolves to Alaska to savage Sarah Palin:

Now, I'm very much on the "associated uses of words and images" tip at this point, and the use of that imagery reminds me of nothing so much as George W. Bush's famously effective "Wolves" ad from 2004:

The use of wolf imagery in the context of a Republican presidential campaign, particularly one so focused on national security acumen, can't help but be intentional. Why is John McCain comparing Barack Obama, a man who has patriotically served his country in the U.S. Senate and who has run an honorable campaign for president, to Islamic terrorists who have slaughtered thousands of Americans?