As a decades long fan of Gore Vidal’s acerbic wit and astute analysis of how power brokers have always pulled the wool over the eyes of American voters, I was impressed when Byron DeLear told me he had met with Vidal and gotten Vidal’s endorsement in his run for the Democratic nomination in the Second Congressional District. Vidal, now in his eighties, sat quietly next to DeLear in the five videos posted on YouTube where Byron talks about his candidacy.

In fact, when you look at the earned media DeLear has racked up so far, it’s easy to believe he spent quite a few years in media production. He has been interviewed on radio stations around the country–in Arizona and Boston, for example, as well as an interview with Dori Smith on Talk Nation Radio. DeLear also appeared on Bradblog, the premier national site for election protection issues. In that interview he spoke about the need for a 28th amendment to the Constitution:

“I talk about the necessity for the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution to be securing the most sacrosanct institution of our Republic which is the vote – the cornerstone of our democracy. And how is it that we can allow corporations to own the source code that instructs voting machines how to count the vote? How is it that in our supposedly popular and public owned electoral system can we have privatization occurring where the basic functions of our elections are in secret and are not available to the scrutiny of the American people?”

DeLear’s zeal for progressive ideas has garnered him endorsements from the MNEA PAC and from the large and active Jefferson Township Democratic Club, as well as from a number of state politicos, including Representative Robin Wright-Jones and Senator Jeff Smith.

Educators seem particularly drawn to him. Although the West County Democrats are not endorsing him or anyone in this primary, a goodly number of its members, including lots of retired teachers, are working for him. And Kevin Caravelli, his campaign manager, pointed out that 80 percent of the primary voters in the Second District will be over 55 and that many in those ranks are teachers, who will take note of the MNEA recommendation.

DeLear’s campaign has leased an office and set up ten phone lines. When I talked to Caravelli, I could hear Byron on the phone in the background–doing what he aims to do most days, phone calling for eight hours. On May 24th, the campaign started its door to door canvassing with twenty volunteers.

Caravelli likes to kid. “We’ve got some big things coming up. … But I’m not going to tell you about them. So there.” And he laughed. But I know that they’re hoping for endorsements from Chesterfield Township and Meramec Township. If there’s anything else, I’ll let you know.