With Buchanan registering just 4 percent in the polls on the eve of a self-imposed deadline to break into double digits, the Reform Party seems headed for its worst presidential showing yet.

Old Buchanan supporters are leery of his embracing a party that shares few of his views on abortion, homosexuality and other social issues. At the same time, supporters of Reform Party founder Ross Perot are concerned that he wants to take over and reshape their organization.

Caught in the middle, as things now stand Buchanan is hardly a threat to Republican George W. Bush or Democrat Al Gore.

"There's no way we're going to support Pat when he's running in a party that stands on the opposite side of everything we hold dear on social policy," said Michael Farris, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. He was co-chairman of Buchanan's 1996 Republican campaign but now supports Bush.

Buchanan's only chance to affect the presidential race, Farris figures, would be if Bush picks an abortion-rights running mate and conservatives choose the fiery commentator in protest.

But Farris predicted that he and other Christian conservatives would stay with the GOP even in that case, however reluctantly.

"We figure that Pat has no chance," Farris said. "So the net consequence of voting for him would be to qualify the Reform Party for ballot slots in future elections. And those ballot slots are not going to go to social conservatives."

That is, unless Buchanan succeeds in shaping the party in his ideological image. And that possibility is upsetting Perot loyalists.

"It's the difference between co-opting and cooperating," said Russell Verney, Perot's top aide and a founding member of the party. "They intend to co-opt the party to be a right-to-life party and that's not what the people in the party are here for."

Buchanan has said he will not try to change the party platform, which is silent on such social issues as abortion, but will "attach" to it his staunch opposition to the procedure. He also says common ground exists on trade and other foreign policy.

He has made it clear that he intends for the party to emerge from its August 10-13 nominating convention unified behind his philosophy. He has even called the event "my convention."

Taking a dismissive approach to the controversy, the front page of Buchanan's Web site Thursday carried an aide's account of the campaign's effort to get on state ballots, referring to it as "the Buchanan petition drive -- excuse me, the Reform Party petition drive."

Buchanan's campaign manager and sister blames his consistently low showing in the polls on the campaign's time-sapping drive to get on the ballots in every state. The cross-country tour, she said, robs Buchanan of media attention and time to engage in national debate with the major party candidates.

"An inordinate number of Americans don't know there's going to be a third candidate in the race," said Bay Buchanan. "If (pollsters) gave me two choices, I'd pick one of them, too."

As for the notion that Buchanan won't draw his old allies from the GOP, she argued that eventually anti-abortion Republicans would follow their consciences and vote for him.

"Generally speaking, people vote not for the party but for the candidate," she said. "That's excellent news for Pat."

She also warned not to count her brother out so soon. After all, she declared, "We almost brought down the president" in 1992.

Although the conservative commentator failed to win any states in that year's primaries, he gave President Bush an early scare by winning nearly 40 percent of the vote in New Hampshire. Four years later, he beat Bob Dole in that state by one percentage point in the only primary he won.

Some Reform Party leaders are considering plans other than nominating him. One such scenario, Verney said, would involve the party putting someone else -- a placeholder -- atop the ticket who would use the $12.6 million in federal matching funds to conduct an "educational" campaign about the party's principles in preparation for 2004.

Colorado Reform Party Chairman Victor Good has proposed nominating no one and forfeiting the $12.6 million rather than accept Buchanan.

"We have to stand up for our most basic principles, even if it means we give up our hard-worked-for matching funds," said Good.

His comments reflect Buchanan's inability to attract some longtime members of the party whose nomination he seeks. Supporters of founder Perot, who won 19 percent of the vote in 1992 and 8 percent four years later, say Buchanan's real aim this election is to take over the third party and shape its ideology in his image.

Perot himself has indicated to party leaders that he has no intention of attending the nominating convention. Buchanan has essentially shrugged, saying he would respect whatever decision Perot made.