When President Barack Obama speaks tonight, he will take the stage with the S&P 500 at a four-year high.

Now, I'm not one to suggest that Wall Street indices are accurate reflections of the economy as a whole, but if you believe in the collective wisdom of markets (as Republicans do) then Wall Street's steady climb over the past couple years sure does suggest that our market makers think the economy is moving in the right direction. And it also suggests that many of those Americans fortunate enough to have retirement portfolios are probably feeling a little more comfortable these days.

Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans are relentlessly campaigning on a promise to move our nation in a new direction... rhetoric that may not work out so well for them if voters sense that the economy is steadily (if slowly) improving.