It appears that all the plugging and unplugging of the coaxial connector moved the switch contacts around enough to clean them of oxidation, and it works correctly.
I think the contacts could even be cleaned with some dental tools if need be -- reach into the coaxial jack with a slender, pointy thing and lightly scrape the contact clean.
So, after replacing the power jack and letting the old one sit around on the bench for a few days, I just picked it up and started tinkering with it.
It is fairly easy to clean the contact surfaces that constitute the switch -- they are visible, and can be accessed with a slender tool. However, Tony is exactly right -- the trouble is a faulty leaf switch. It isn't a case of dirty contacts (that was what I surmised), it is a lack of spring tension in the leaf contact.
Putting an ohmmeter across the switch lugs, with nothing plugged in, I got continuity, as expected. Then, applying the lightest pressure to the leaf, the connection was severed. A new jack requires considerable pressure to break the connection.
I can't imagine how you could bend the leaf up to restore some spring tension. I've tinkered and poked and decided that it really is dead. *toss*
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