Georgia Democrats rallied with former President Barack Obama Wednesday night, at the same time President Donald Trump was in Ohio attempting to energize his base, as both parties began crystallizing their closing messages ahead of next week's midterm elections.

Both Obama and Trump are on the campaign trail, but only one of them appears to be descending into madness

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Barack Obama versus Donald Trump. It is the presidential election that never happened but has come to define an era of US politics.

Obama is back on the campaign trail for the midterms, still electrifying crowds, earning shouts of “We love you!” and skewering his successor. “What’s up with the gold?” he asked a crowd in Detroit. “I mean, he’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” This has, predictably, set off a mini culture war involving questions of elitism and the tastefulness of chain restaurants.

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© Photograph: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Long before its baroque décor and class identity became midterm talking points, this durable restaurant chain survived some withering critiques.

© Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for The Cheesecake Factory

It's crunch time for candidates across the country with Election Day just over a week away. On Monday, President Trump campaigned in ruby-red Mississippi, a state he won by almost 23 points two years ago. Over the weekend, the battleground state of Michigan saw a political heavyweight bout between Trump and former President Obama. Liz Landers reports.

At rallies this weekend, Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump delivered two starkly contrasting pitches, differing in style and substance.

© Nick Hagen for The New York Times

Obama remains the Democratic Party's best motivator nearly a decade after leaving the White House. And he's taking his star power on the road in the final days of the midterm elections, which will help determine the balance of power in American politics on Nov. 3.

The 44th president sharply criticized Mr. Trump, who hit back later in the day. Mr. Obama also assailed Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio.

© Victor J. Blue for The New York Times