The optimists are crediting President-elect Barack Obama for a renewed enthusiasm from voters, who flocked to the polls in record numbers. The pessimists say they were driven by fear, inspired by the nation’s financial meltdown.

Either way, just over 80 percent of registered voters in Connecticut turned out on Nov. 4.

The 80.3 percent is slightly higher than the 78.6 percent voter turnout in 2004 and the 77.5 percent turnout in 2000.

Nutmeggers weren’t alone.

According to The Associated Press, voters across the country cast their ballots in numbers not seen in at least 40 years — about 133.3 million people voted for president. The total voting in 2008 easily outdistanced 2004’s 122.3 million, which had been a record year.

What’s most interesting about early results is not just how many people voted but the shifting demographic of American voters, Stephen Ansolabehere, a political science professor at Harvard and MIT, told AP.

Using exit polling data, Ansolabehere determined that whites made up 74 percent of the 2008 electorate. That’s down considerably from 81 percent in 2000 because of increase in black and Hispanic voting, he said.

Not surprising, since African Americans were galvanized by Obama’s candidacy — the optimistic side of our equation.

The pessimists may see their results in the fact that Republican turnout rates are down quite a bit, while Democratic turnout rates are up, according to Curtis Gans, director of the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate at American University.

Republican states, such as Wyoming and South Dakota, saw turnout drop.

“I think they were discouraged,” Gans said.

Most heartening was the reaction of America’s youth to the Obama candidacy.

“Young voters have dispelled the notion of an apathetic generation and proved the pundits, reporters and political parties wrong by voting in record numbers today,” said Heather Smith, the executive director of Rock the Vote. “The Millennial generation is making their mark on politics and shaping our future.”

Which leaves only one question: how do we keep up the enthusiasm?