I didn't see this as complimentary to Sarah, except that he was saying she's a real person, not a phony. He admits he's not going to vote for McCain, because of McCain's support of the use of the American military in what Gravel considers American Imperialism. He hopes that Sarah won't get corrupted by that outlook.
Too late, Mike, she supports the War on Terror, so, in your mind, she HAS already been corrupted.