Readers suggested a topic on the conventional wisdom on home prices. "Weekend Topic suggestion: 'Spinning sound housing bubble remedies to appeal to political activists.'"

"The idea is that with presidential media coverage just warming up and campaign platforms being formulated, now might be a good time to try to push 'sound government policies to combat the housing bubble.' Policies that will help manage the current crash (not bailouts) and that will prevent future bubbles from occurring."

"Most importantly, how to spin those policies to appeal to political activists. Although the special interests that fund the campaigns will largely dictate the campaign pledges, if we can influence a groundswell of support from political activists for good policies, there’s some slim chance that politicians will one day pledge and then execute those policies because politicians know how dependent they are on activists to 'get out the vote.'"

"For example, if you think that the tax advantages of investing in housing compared to other asset classes helped inflate the bubble, you could sell repealing those tax advantages with such spin as: it will put government finances back on a sound footing, redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor because wealthy homeowners will get a bigger tax hike than poor renters."

"Academic studies have shown that the average worker does not benefit from housing tax breaks, all they do is transfer money that would have gone to the government in taxes to provide public services."

"One can spin the exact same policies to activists, such as: the lifetime cap on the housing capital gains tax exemption created the housing bubble so that must be rolled back."

"The current tax policies are a huge distortion of the sacred free markets and have caused over a trillion dollars of misallocation of capital into excess housing inventory instead of real productive capacity, - etc."

Another reader added, "The time’s becoming ripe for a change in the propaganda re. housing. For the past several years the 'common wisdom' has been that inflating housing prices is 'good' for the average American. Unbelievably, nearly everyone bought into the concept."

"Now, with all the foreclosures coming about, it’s starting to dawn on some that high home prices may actually a BAD thing! Today there was a whole hour show on CNN about how rampant foreclosures were trashing whole neighborhoods."

"Right now, the pols are tending to blame the foreclosures on bad loans. But everyone knows the REAL problem is the high home prices. That’s what the flashlightlight really needs to shine on. The high cost of homes and how it’s destroyed people’s finances."

"This idea could really pick up some traction in the next few months. Perhaps it’s time for bubble bloggers to pitch in here with ideas to get the ball rolling. Coming up with politicaly acceptable ways for politicians to re-frame this is a really good idea."

And another said, "Amen! We do need to spread the word that 'affordable housing' comes in the form of lower prices, NOT higher debt that is cloaked in artificially low monthly payments!"