Barack Obama says the recovery is underway, and all our economy needs is a little stimulus. Mitt Romney says what this country needs is a president with experience in creating jobs. The truth is that neither camp is admitting the truth.

The American dream may be more out of reach, but it's not impossible to achieve.

It must be nice to live in CNBC's world, the best of all possible worlds, where the glasses are always half-full and the rich get richer but the poor don't get poorer.

Without the restoration of middle class jobs for Americans, the lights will not go back on and support for education will continue to fade.