By David Willis BBC Los Angeles correspondent

Reagan was nicknamed 'the great communicator'

Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking to become the second member of his profession to make it to the governor's mansion. But how does he compare with the first?

"Generally speaking Californians don't think that being an actor is a mark against you," says Mr Reagan's biographer Lou Cannon.

"People aren't upset by Arnold because he is an actor they would like to see however that he can handle himself on his feet and debate with some of these other candidates - now, Reagan did that very well."

Mr Reagan's career was in the doldrums when he ran for office, Mr Schwarzenegger in contrast can still command up to $30m a film. But the fact that he was forced to try his luck in television later proved to Reagan's advantage.

I think that it's clear that Mr Schwarzenegger's campaign strategists have concluded that they can get him elected without having to expose him to the voters or to reporters Lou Cannon, Reagan biographer

"How do you respond to people that say you are a politician of the television era?" Mr Reagan was once asked.

"Well I think they misunderstand that device," he replied.

"He was on television, he knew the medium in a way that Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot, does not know, at least not at this point and I think that's a real difference between them, Reagan was the great communicator," explains political analyst Cherie Bebech Jeffy.

American Dream

But, as well as differing in experience, Ms Bebech Jeffy thinks the two men differ in motives.

"The real difference between the two, I think, is that Reagan came to politics from ideology, Schwarzenegger didn't and it's catching him up."

Yet, Mr Schwarzenegger embodies California's fetish both for celebrity and self made men.

He came to America with next to nothing, earned an MBA, married a Kennedy and made a fortune in films - to many here he embodies the American Dream.

Schwarzenegger's policies remain something of a mystery

"He can make $30m and everything and he's willing to give that up because he thinks he can do something for the state of California," says A C Lyle a veteran producer at Hollywood's Paramount pictures and a friend of both men.

He believes Mr Schwarzenegger can follow firmly in Mr Reagan's footsteps and come out ahead of the other 134 candidates.

"I said 'Arnold, we are $38bn in debt, why do you want to take this on?' and he said it was because he though he could do something. That's what Ronny said too."

Perhaps the main difference between the two men is that everyone knew what Mr Reagan stood for, yet with less than a fortnight to go before the election Arnie's views on many subjects remain a well-kept secret.

"I think that it's clear that Mr Schwarzenegger's campaign strategists have concluded that they can get him elected without having to expose him to the voters or to reporters, I don't know if they will succeed in that but I don't think they are doing anybody - including their candidate - any favours," Mr Cannon says.

That is assuming that policies count for more than star qualities in California. Those who dismiss Arnold Schwarzenegger as a robotic action hero should remember that Ronald Reagan was also dismissed as a joke when he first ran for governor and he beat his opponent by more than a million votes.