I'm not a pessimist–I'm just trying to inject a little reality into the conversation. And unlike the presidential contenders, I practice what I preach. Take the Top 5 Stocks on my Blue Chip Growth Buy List: They've gone up an average of 12% so far this year! That's compared to a 12% DROP in the S&P since January 1 and the worst June since the Great Depression.

The key to success in this market and knowing where to invest is to not rely on false hope or feel-good stories. I stick to the facts–earnings growth, sales growth, P/E ratios. I look for stocks that are growing at a rapid rate and have the fundamental values necessary to succeed on Wall Street right now. Instead of hopping around on stocks that have temporarily fallen into favor, I look for stocks that will continue to generate great returns over the long term. And you should too (by the way, here's who made my Top 5 Stocks for August).

Make Your Choices Based on the Facts

Some politicians briefly win support because they look good in a suit and deliver feel-good speeches full of empty promises. But eventually, their weaknesses are exposed and they fall out of favor. The same is true for many stocks right now–they see a temporary jump in value before they nosedive to the bottom of the barrel again.

Regulators at the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) have been throwing the kitchen sink at the credit crisis. Few of their actions have produced any lasting changes, however–they're merely succeeded at creating the illusion that everything is going well in the financial sector (see also, "Read My Lips: The Feds Can't Fix This!").

We've seen the dollar gain some momentum in recent weeks, and crude oil prices have drawn back more than 20% from mid-July's record high of $147.27. Financial stocks have rallied briefly, prompting some gullible economists to say that the oil bubble has burst and financials are the way of the future. But just as voters eventually figure out that some politicians are all flash and no substance (see also, "Election Season: A Great Time to Sell Stocks"), Wall Street will soon have to come to grips with the fact that the economy hasn't really changed at all.

Obviously, financial stocks will give back all of their gains after investors are wise to this. If you're still not sure where to invest, just know that the stocks that will succeed are the ones that continue to post massive profits and sales growth this year.

In the recent round of earnings reports, we've had several Blue Chip Growth stocks report earnings double, triple or even quadruple the numbers they posted in 2007! Those stocks were all commodity-related–from the agricultural chemical companies that help boost crop yields to energy companies that are accessing new supplies of crude oil.

Those strong sales and profits won't dry up any time soon. Prices for commodities like corn, oil and gold have rolled back a bit, but they're set to surge again (see also, "Commodities: Your Guide to Profiting Smartly").

As inflation continues unchecked and the seasonal demand for energy peaks this winter, we'll see...