Why? What has Kamala Harris accomplished thus far that would cause Ms. Paglia to believe her last few years of life would be enriched (literally or figuratively) by a Kamala Harris Presidency?
She voted for Bernie. She thought Kamala might be a better, younger Bernie.
I suspect you're looking for too much in her statement. If you hear about somebody from your party who manages to get elected someplace and people are talking him or her up, you might have high hopes ... until you learn more about the politician in question. That's a pretty common experience.
I enjoy reading her commentary but she is truly intellectually inconsistent!
I guess you’re right. It could mean more like, “I hoped she might be a real presidential contender,” as opposed to, “I had reason to believe she might accomplish something specific that I care about.”