The Tennessean is (sorta) ending endorsements

The Tennessean is going to focus on helping “citizens make good decisions” rather then on traditional endorsements, according to a fairly confusing column by USA Today Network-Tennessee Vice President Michael A. Anastasi.

“Contemporary readers want to be able to make smart decisions and learn from balanced perspectives,” Anastasi writes. “But they would rather not be told what to think, according to USA TODAY NETWORK research.”

So all endorsements are out, right? Well, not exactly.

“This does not mean we have stopped doing endorsements; rather, we are focused on races where we believe our opinion adds the greatest value,” according to Anastasi.

That apparently means endorsing Jim Shulman for vice mayor of Nashville and retiring Democratic state Sen. Thelma Harper’s chosen successor, Howard Jones, over state Rep. Brenda Gilmore.

As for that little $50 million-plus race to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam? Crickets.