Early campaigning focused heavily on the Iraq War and Bush 's unpopularity . McCain supported the war , as well as a troop surge that had begun in 2007 , while Obama strongly opposed the war . Bush endorsed McCain , but the two did not campaign together , and Bush did not appear in person at the 2008 Republican National Convention . Obama campaigned on the theme that " Washington must change , " while McCain emphasized his experience . The campaign was strongly affected by the onset of a major financial crisis , which peaked in September 2008 . McCain 's decision to suspend his campaign during the height of the financial crisis backfired as voters viewed his response as erratic
2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
2008 United States presidential election