Opinion: Come back Gray! All is forgiven!

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The biggest ovation at Thursday evening’s Democratic primary debates went to former California Gov. Gray Davis.

Art Torres, the state Dems’ chair, was introducing the state party’s A-list at the beginning of the program. When he got to Davis, there was a smattering of applause as the bigwigs on the floor craned their necks to see where the ex-guv was. Then they spotted the shock of white hair way upstairs, in the first balcony, in the back. The smattering turned into affectionate cheering, which turned into a standing ovation in his balcony, then the other two balconies, finally the floor.

Torres jumped in: Which governor had the biggest deficit? (Hint: Not Davis). More clapping. The warm reception outdid even Hillary’s big applause line of the night -- the one about needing a Clinton to clean up after the second Bush, just like the first.

At the GOP debate in Simi Valley the night before, the reception for the man who ousted Davis -- current governor Arnold Schwarzenegger -- was polite enough, no doubt in part because he escorted Nancy Reagan into the room.