Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain aren’t just crisscrossing the country in their quest to become president of the United States; they’re circling the globe.

Obama’s campaign announced over the weekend that the Illinois senator will take his campaign abroad soon with stops in Israel, Jordan, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. McCain is dusting off his passport, too, traveling this week to Colombia and Mexico. The Arizona senator already delivered a speech in Canada earlier this month.

Obama said he’s going overseas to “assess the situation in countries that are critical to American national security and to consult with some of our closest friends and allies about the common challenges we face.”

“This will be an important opportunity to have an exchange of views with leaders in these countries about … issues that are critical to American national security – and global security -- in the 21st century,” said Obama.

There’s a myriad of reasons why the candidates are adding foreign trips in their campaign schedules. For Obama, it’s a chance to boost his foreign affairs credentials and an opportunity to be seen with key international foreign leaders. For McCain, it’s a bid to reinforce his foreign affairs portfolio in the minds of voters.

For both men, it’s a chance to show the world that they’re not George W. Bush. America’s image in the world has plummeted during the Bush presidency, largely because of overwhelming international opposition to the war in Iraq, according to several international polls.

In Great Britain, for example, the favorable opinion of the U.S. dropped from 83 percent in 2000 to 53 percent in 2008 and from 78 percent to 31 percent in Germany during the same time period, according to a 2007 Pew Global Attitudes survey.

The declining world view of the U.S. is affecting American politics and public opinion. Seventy-one percent of Americans -- seven out of 10 -- said America is less respected in the world than it has been, according to study released earlier this month by the Pew Center for the People and the Press.

In the same survey, 56 percent of Americans said the loss of U.S. respect abroad is a major problem, up from 43 percent in 2005.

The thirst for a kinder, gentler U.S. image seems to be aiding Obama. A Pew Global Attitudes poll released this month showed that people overseas view Obama more favorably than McCain and Bush. Asked how confident they were that the next president will make good foreign policy decisions, Obama bested McCain in nearly every country.

Obama topped McCain 84 percent to 33 percent in France, 82 percent to 33 percent in Germany and 74 percent to 44 percent in the United Kingdom.

“There is a sort of international validation for his campaign that raises his stock domestically,” Ron Walters, a University of Maryland political science professor, told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “He has taken a very strong anti-war position, and the war is what’s brought American’s international image down.”

Obama is expected to receive rock star treatment when he heads overseas, particularly in Western Europe, according to John Hulsman, an analyst for the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin.

“They’re mesmerized by the notion an African-American could be elected president,” Hulsman told McClatchy Newspapers earlier this month. “They see Obama talking and hear Kennedyesque strains in what he says, and they think maybe America isn’t as bad as they thought.”

In addition to trying to convey a better American image abroad, both Obama and McCain also hope their globetrotting will generate votes and campaign cash from Americans living in the countries they visit.

An estimated 6.6 million U.S. civilians live and work abroad, and almost 500,000 U.S. military members and their families are stationed overseas. Those who are old enough to vote can cast absentee ballots obtained from their home states.

As for money, several 2008 presidential campaigns have looked at some foreign countries as ATM machines. Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton headlined separate fundraisers with well-heeled American expatriates -- foreign citizens cannot contribute to U.S. campaigns -- in London last year. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani personally presided over a London fundraiser for his failed presidential campaign last year. Even Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) sought campaign cash and votes for his unsuccessful White House bid with overseas visits.