Kammala wannan jumla: A ranar 29 ga Agusta, 2008, McCain ya bayyana Gwamnan Alaska Sarah Palin a matsayin abin mamaki ga abokin takararsa. McCain shine kawai dan takarar shugaban kasa na biyu na Amurka (bayan Walter Mondale, wanda ya zaɓi Geraldine Ferraro) don zaɓar mace a matsayin abokin takararsa kuma ɗan Republican na farko da ya yi hakan. A ranar 3 ga Satumba, 2008, McCain da Palin sun zama 'yan takarar shugaban kasa da mataimakin shugaban kasa na Jam'iyyar Republican a
Babban taron Jam'iyyar Republican na 2008 a Saint Paul, Minnesota. McCain ya tashi a gaban Obama a cikin zaɓe na ƙasa bayan taron, yayin da Palin ya zaɓi mahimman masu jefa ƙuri'a na Republican waɗanda a baya suka yi taka tsantsan da shi. Koyaya, ta hanyar shigar da kamfen ɗin kanta daga baya, ƙaddamar da Palin ga kafofin watsa labarai na ƙasa ya yi rauni, kuma halayen masu jefa ƙuri'a ga Palin ya zama mai ƙaruwa, musamman a tsakanin masu zaman kansu da sauran masu jefa ƙuri'a da ke damuwa game da cancanta.