▁the ▁party ▁in ▁a ▁dict atorial ▁fashion ▁for ▁too ▁long . ▁▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁ ▁Hop ing ▁to ▁decrease ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Vent ura , ▁Ver ney ▁convinced ▁Pat ▁Buch an an ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁party ' s ▁president ial ▁nom ination ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁However , ▁Ver ney ▁soon ▁became ▁ups et ▁with ▁Buch an an ' s ▁soci ally ▁conserv ative ▁positions , ▁explaining ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁attempting ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁party ▁into ▁an ▁" ide olog ically ▁pure ▁right - wing ▁party ." ▁Event ually , ▁the ▁Reform ▁Party ▁split ▁after ▁Ver ney ▁led ▁a ▁walk - out ▁that ▁protest ed ▁Pat ▁Buch an an ' s ▁nom ination . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁ran ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁Ver ney , ▁discuss ing ▁how ▁he ▁stayed ▁with ▁one ▁fa ction ▁of ▁the ▁Reform ▁Party ▁as ▁it ▁continued ▁its ▁decl ine ▁following ▁Per ot ' s ▁campaign s ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁split . ▁Ver ney ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁eventually ▁leave ▁the ▁party , ▁but ▁that ▁he ▁" w ould ▁never ▁really ▁leave ▁Ross ▁[ Per ot ]" ▁because , ▁in ▁his ▁words , ▁" I ▁love ▁the ▁man . ▁He ' s ▁my ▁hero ." ▁ ▁Ver ney ▁served ▁as ▁former ▁Republican ▁Congress man ▁Bob ▁Bar r ' s ▁campaign ▁manager ▁for ▁his ▁president ial ▁run ▁as ▁the ▁nom ine e ▁of ▁the ▁Libert arian ▁Party ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Bar r ▁finished ▁the