WASHINGTON—According to a newly released USA Today/Gallup poll, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's favorability has surged to 64 percent since he left the country Wednesday for a three-nation overseas trip. "Once Gov. Romney was no longer within the borders of the United States and was instead many thousands of miles away from American voters, his popularity immediately spiked across almost all demographics," said political analyst Mark Halperin, noting that the electorate has been invigorated by Romney's complete absence from campaign events, rallies, and town hall meetings. "It seems that the farther away Romney travels, the more people like him. By the time his plane touches down in Israel, I wouldn't be surprised if his favorability rating isn't somewhere in the high 70s." Experts were quick to note the number remains well below Romney’s historical high of 89 percent, reached in February 2008 when the former Massachusetts governor announced his withdrawal from that year's presidential race.

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