WASHINGTON -- From the beginning, Barack Obama's special appeal was his vow to remain an idealistic outsider, courageous and optimistic, and never to shift his positions for political expediency, or become captive of the Inside-the-Beltway intelligentsia, or kiss up to special interests and big money donors.

In recent weeks, though, Obama has done all of those things.

He abandoned public campaign financing after years of championing it. Backed a compromise on wiretap legislation that gives telecom companies retroactive immunity for helping the government conduct spying without warrants. Dumped his controversial pastor of two decades -- then his church -- after saying he could no more abandon the pastor than abandon his own grandmother.

He said he wouldn't wear the U.S. flag pin because it had become a substitute for true patriotism, then started wearing it. Ramped up his courtship of unions. Shifted from a pledge to protect working-class families from tax increases to a far more expensive promise not to raise taxes on families that earn up to $250,000 a year. Turned to longtime D.C. Democratic wise men to run his vice presidential search and staff his foreign-policy brain trust.

OPPORTUNISTIC MOVES?

Presidential candidates often tack toward the center after securing their party's nominations. But all this tactical repositioning by Obama suggests that he's a more complex, pragmatic and arguably more opportunistic politician than the fresh face of ''change we can believe in'' that he presented during the primary season.

In Illinois, fellow politicians and civic activists who watched Obama as a state lawmaker say he's a political realist who pivots when he needs to, but can be counted on to follow through on big promises.

''You have to run two different types of campaigns, one to attract the primary population, one to attract the general population,'' said state Sen. Terry Link, a Democrat. But Link said, ``If they're trying to make him a Washingtonite, I would never believe he's going to be a Washingtonite.''

Cynthia Canary, the executive director of Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a reform group, said that Obama is just human. 'In a way, we have done him a disservice by creating this rock 'n' roll mythology around him,'' she said.

NO FALLOUT YET

Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe, didn't acknowledge any flip-flops on Obama's part and said he sees ''no evidence'' of frustration among voters. Polls show no impact from Obama's shifts.

Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, said that while Obama might be shaking the faith of some idealists with some of his shifts, politically ``he's probably doing the smart thing.''

This year's election is more likely to be decided on Iraq and the economy, Pitney said, adding: ``This is the transition between a fantasy campaign and a real campaign. In a fantasy campaign you are in the clouds and never compromise. In a real campaign, you compromise.''

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