LOS ANGELES -- Arnold Schwarzenegger's dilemma in making the transition from movie star to politician was framed by the last question he fielded Wednesday during a session with reporters that was supposed to showcase his understanding of economic matters.

The question came from a blond bombshell-type "reporter" from "Entertainment Tonight," the syndicated television show that chronicles the comings and goings of show-biz personalities. What exalted role, the questioner asked breathlessly, would fellow actor Rob Lowe play in Schwarzenegger's campaign for the governorship of California?

Political reporters sniggered as the question wafted weightlessly from her ruby red lips to Schwarzenegger's ears. They had assembled in the hotel ballroom near Los Angeles International Airport to see for themselves whether Schwarzenegger could deal with economic issues cogently -- part of the journalistic vetting process for anyone who presumes to seek high office, especially someone without a political track record.

If Schwarzenegger was annoyed at the lightweight intrusion on his heavyweight conclave of an "economic recovery team," however, he didn't show it. He carefully pointed out that Lowe was merely "a very good friend" who had offered to raise money or otherwise help in the campaign.

Schwarzenegger's dilemma is that while he wants to capitalize on his celebrity to gain media attention, he also must meet some undefined threshold of serious capability to win the Oct. 7 election to succeed Gov. Gray Davis should the latter be recalled by voters. And the threshold may be higher for Schwarzenegger than another wealthy outsider who wants to enter politics at the top. As an actor, he carries the extra baggage of that trade's endemic narcissism and shallowness -- the "Entertainment Tonight" sort of stuff.

However much they may be enthralled with the notion of a movie superstar seeking their votes, Californians aren't likely to elect him simply on his famous name or his oft-declared good intentions. He must enter their comfort zone by demonstrating that he's capable of understanding and confronting the knotty political problems of a complex and fast-changing state. They don't want a California version of Jesse Ventura, the wrestler who became an embarrassment as governor of Minnesota.

Schwarzenegger was hammered in the media and by opponents during the early days of his campaign for his failure to confront the political press and provide specifics on what he would do if elected -- and his standing among voters suffered at least a bit.

Wednesday's session, the first of a planned series of "summits" on major issues, was designed to add some heft to the actor's image. He met privately for two hours with those experienced in the economy and the deficit-ridden state budget and then emerged with the co-chairs of his economic advisory team, Republican Party elder George Shultz and billionaire investor (and Democrat) Warren Buffett, to confront the media horde.

Schwarzenegger didn't come across as a candidate for a doctorate in economics, but he didn't make any gross mistakes either during the 40-minute news conference. He declared, not for the first time, his intention to restore some luster to the tarnished Golden State, cajole the Democratic-controlled Legislature into adopting more business-friendly policies, balance the state budget -- without new taxes -- and lessen influence of special interests.

"We have everything we need except leadership," Schwarzenegger said.

His prescription, which was short on specifics, was more or less standard Republican dogma: capping spending, cutting waste, avoiding new taxes and restoring the state's battered credit rating. He promised to appoint a special team of outside auditors to examine the budget, listen to experts' advice on how to deal with the problems and then, "I make the decisions."

Despite those and other words, however, it's uncertain whether Schwarzenegger really believes that he must exhibit more than good intentions to take the governorship. His campaign aides have described it as more a campaign of leadership style than specifics. But even if that's true, there's still that threshold, and Schwarzenegger still must meet it.