Google+Hangout: Economy and the presidential debate

• What would you ask the candidates?
• Join this roundtable discussion and submit your comments live.
• First in a series of pre-debate Google+Hangouts.

Join USA TODAY Opinion for a pre-debate Google+Hangout at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

This will be the first in what we hope to make a series of discussions on the most important issues tackled by the two presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and President Obama during each presidential debate.

On Wednesday, the candidates will focus on domestic policy, and our hangout will cover specifically the economy. What do you need to hear from Romney and Obama to be convinced that they have a winning plan for bringing the U.S. out of its economic downturn? If you could, what would you ask the candidates about their respective plans to fix the budget deficit? Whose plan on job creation is, in your opinion, the best?

We'll have a panel of economics experts to join us, but we mainly want to hear from you during this conversation. Chime in with your opinions, comments and questions on Twitter using #economicsdebate or on Facebook by placing your comment at the bottom of this story page.

Meet the debate participants

Heather Boushey is senior economist at American Progress. Her research focuses on employment, social policy and family economic well-being. Much of her current work focuses on the Great Recession's impact on workers and their families, as well as policies to promote job creation.

Dan Mitchell is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is a tax reform and supply-side tax policy expert. Mitchell is a strong advocate of a flat tax and international tax competition.

David Mastio is USA TODAY's Forum editor. He will be co-moderating the discussion.

Eileen Rivers is USA TODAY's Web content editor. She will also be co-moderating the conversation.

We will also be joined by USA TODAY reader Ron Harris, who, in many ways, represents the struggle that many Americans are going through in this down economy. He also has many questions for Obama and Romney. Harris, a former pilot who has been unemployed for a year, was chosen out of many readers to join the conversation.

To jump into the conversation here, you can also leave your comment or question in the Cover it Live box below the video, where there will also be polls and other interactives throughout the conversation.

Before Wednesday's hangout begins, take a look at our last Google+Hangout on the Sikh temple shooting and gun control. Today's hangout on the presidential debate begins promptly at 4 p.m.