SAN DIEGO — Steve Hilton and I aren't exactly chums. But, it's fair to say that, on those occasions when the former Fox News host and I crossed paths in the media trenches, it was on friendly terms.

The 56-year-old native of Great Britain is quite likable. Now that he's running for governor of California, that's an asset. Several of his opponents are abrasive, insulting and condescending.

One-on-one, Hilton is impossible to dislike. He's smart and affable. As a professional communicator, he understands messaging. He knows how to connect with people — and how to allow them to connect with him.

Hilton also has a mischievous sense of humor. In March 2018, I was a guest on his Fox News show, "The Next Revolution." The topic was immigration. And Hilton apparently decided it would be fun to seat me in the middle between the other two guests: right-wing columnist Ann Coulter and former judge Jeanine Pirro.

I was surrounded. Putting a Mexican American in between Pirro and Coulter, to slug it out over immigration? That is a hate crime.

I consider it a jolly good thing that I've known Hilton since the B.P. era. B.P. stands for "Before Politics."

When I met Hilton in 2017, he seemed perfectly normal. He could be persuaded — his ego notwithstanding — that he was wrong. Back then, he struck me as a fellow who said what he meant and meant what he said.

Now, all bets are off. After receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump — something that was enormously coveted by his opponent and fellow Republican, Riverside Co. Sheriff Chad Bianco — Hilton decided that he couldn't say for sure who won the 2020 presidential election.

I'm not surprised. In 37 years on the job as a journalist, I've seen several friends cross to the dark side. They entered the arena to change politics, and instead, politics changed them.

I don't expect it will go differently for Hilton. There is no daylight between his positions and those of the White House. In a deep-blue state like California, where Trump is intensely unpopular, you would think that would spell doom for Hilton.

Not so. The Democrats in the gubernatorial election are uninspiring. According to the polls, Hilton is at the top of the leaderboard. He is likely to claim one of the top two spots during the June 2 primary and advance to the general election in November.

That could be a good thing. Democrats need a hard thumping. They've become too complacent, and they've lost touch with their own constituents. Addicted to easy victories, things won't get better until they hit rock bottom.

I'd like to vote for Hilton, but I just can't get there. I would have to overcome a few concerns. Ok, more like five.

No. 1: He is indebted to Trump, who is not someone to whom you want to owe a marker. The president demands 100% loyalty. If Hilton were elected governor of California, Trump would treat him like a puppet.

No. 2: As someone who has only been in the United States since 2012, Hilton doesn't seem to understand much about U.S. history, the American political system, or why California has the world's fourth-largest economy.

No. 3: Hilton claims that Democrats broke California. But he doesn't understand that Republicans lent a hand by drifting to the right, embracing racism in the immigration debate, and nominating unelectable candidates.

No. 4: Hilton brags about being a legal immigrant. He should tread lightly and show humility. Many of those who come to the United States illegally did so because, unlike him, they didn't have a path to come legally.

No. 5: Finally, I can't get past the gall and entitlement it must take for a white male who was born in another country and has been in this one for just 14 years to decide that he should lead the nation's most populous state.

As they say in Great Britain, Hilton is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. But, assuming he gets past the primary, which seems like a good bet, he'll have several months before the general to work on his deficits, broaden his appeal and get his act together.

I hope the Republican puts in the effort. My home state is a remarkable place. But one-party rule poses a greater threat than earthquakes or wildfires.

And until they have real choices on the ballot, California voters will just have to keep dreamin' about something better.

To find out more about Ruben Navarrette and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Iris Papillon at Unsplash