If you are not a socialist at 18, you do not have a heart. If you are still a socialist at 28, you do not have a brain....
Brash is a conservative, not a liberal (in the traditional sense of course, not the stupid Amercianised attempt by the "liberals" to legitimise socialism) so National was the obvious choice for him. ACT would have been too liberal I think. I say good on him!
Ouch, thats a mighty hefty cliche you are wielding! For me it was the other way around, I was an ACT-voting fiscal/social conservative at 18.