I finally heard back from Patreon. They said:
"The new editor is still pretty fresh for all of us, and I’ve genuinely been trying to help you figure out a way to make your posts both paid and publicly viewable at the same time. From everything you’ve described—and after going through all the available settings—it looks like this setup just isn’t possible right now. Even when you lower the paywall to show the post, it still appears locked to the public."
You don't attract more business by making your service harder to use , with FEWER options, not to mention invisible to potential new customers. That's regression, not progress. Wanna bet the boss who ordered this interface downgrade has his hair in pointy cones out from his half-bald head? Yes, that's a "Dilbert" reference.