I’m torn. On the one hand, the fact that the most popular morning “news” show in America would devote even 25 seconds to this idiocy is depressing. On the other hand, if trying to drive a few extra readers/viewers to your product with gratuitous coverage of Palin is a crime, let me be guilty.

The whole story in one line: She wore a visor emblazoned with the McCain campaign logo while on vacation in Hawaii — except that the logo was blacked out! Sort of. Smoking-gun proof that she hates McCain? Not quite:

The hotel where she was staying had to chase away five photographers, a friend said.

Palin said in the statement to POLITICO: “I am so sorry if people took this silly incident the wrong way. I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago. So much for trying to be incognito.”

Not so fast, counters TMZ. As Andrew Sullivan, uterine detective, always says, with Palin things are never as they seem:

So Palin — who wears many hats — would have us believe A) the visor could transform her into an ordinary, anonymous soccer mom as she frolicked with her now-famous family in Hawaii and B) blacking out the name of the Presidential running mate whose campaign staff trashed her was an innocent gesture, devoid of motive.

So the theory of the crime is that she blacked out the visor to insult Maverick, even though (a) because the logo is sunk into the material, the ink on the surface actually makes it more legible, and (b) if she wanted to trash McCain, she could have done it in her book and cashed in on the extra buzz that would have meant for sales. But why do something like that when you can totally pwn him with your headgear instead?

Too bad Sullivan’s on hiatus, as his take on this would have been fascinating. Perhaps Sullivans #2 and 3 can “channel” him and let us know what he thinks? Exit question via the latest numbers from Gallup: Is she ever again going to be north of 50 percent favorable?

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