CLEVELAND, Ohio - Former President Barack Obama had a simple message - and goal - at his Thursday night rally in Cleveland: taking back Ohio.

The visit was to promote Democrat Richard Cordray for governor, the man Obama chose as the country's top consumer watchdog. But it also served as a direct challenge to Republican President Donald Trump, a years-long feud that's been brewing since Obama's first election in 2008.

"This is not normal what we're seeing in our politics," Obama said.

Around 3,000 people packed the blazing-hot gymnasium of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District East Professional Center, with a further 1,250 in overflow, on East 79th Street for a glimpse at Obama, who hadn't appeared on the campaign trail until recently.

Unlike the collegial, wonkish Obama from his time in the White House, this was campaign Obama. It was the sort of speech that made him famous during his meteoric rise from being an unknown state senator from Illinois to being the chief executive of the country.

And he had Republicans in his crosshairs.

"What we've seen is a politics that feels broken right now," Obama said. "Even the folks who won don't seem happy. Have you noticed that? They won the presidency, they won the House they won the Senate, and they're still mad. Which is interesting."

Cordray's foe in the election, Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine, also received a targeted attack. The president rebuked DeWine for suing to upend the Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature legislation more commonly known as Obamacare, at the beginning of his tenure as attorney general.

DeWine eventually flipped his position and said he supported the Medicaid expansion portion of Obamacare.

"And (DeWine) can't get his story straight about Medicaid," Obama said. "What's so confusing? If somebody won't fight for your health care as a senator, he won't fight for your health care as attorney general. And if he won't fight for your health care as attorney general, how can you trust him to fight for your health care in the great State of Ohio?"

The entire program was an exercise in rallying the base and getting Cordray next to the president, though Cordray wasn't the only candidate angling to share the stage with Obama. Congressional candidate Aftab Pureval, Secretary of State candidate Kathleen Clyde and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown all made pitches to voters.

But Obama's speech in the heart of Cleveland served as a shot across the bow to Trump and other Republicans.

The Cordray-DeWine race was already one of the most hotly-contested gubernatorial matchups in the country, but Obama's visit brings another dynamic and national implications going into the midterms and 2020.

Trump, who won by a wider margin and with more votes in Ohio than either time Obama ran, has staked his claim on the pivotal presidential swing state, with frequent visits and a reshaping of the Ohio Republican Party in his own image.

But Obama is looking to retake ground in midwestern states 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lost to the Republicans. That he came to Ohio as one of his first stops on the midterm campaign trail only proves the keen interest he and other Democrats have in proving their mettle in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Obama's popularity has increased from the time he left office with a nearly 60 percent approval rating. He's mostly stayed out of the political limelight.

It's a calculated measure to come back on the scene at a time when Trump's approval ratings have sunk back down into the 30s, lower than any president at this time in his administration since Democrat Bill Clinton in 1994.

The placement of the rally in St. Clair-Superior was no accident either. Minority voter turnout shrunk significantly in 2016, one of the reasons for Trump's more than 8-point victory over Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

"I have one simple message: Vote. Vote. Vote," Obama said before the crowd started chanting the word themselves.

The public showing in a state that overwhelmingly supported Trump could backfire. While well-regarded since leaving office, Obama drew divisive opinions while he occupied the White House. His presence in a race that's among the closest in the country could energize Trump supporters who otherwise may have stayed home on Nov. 6.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken said a strong economy and the 2016 election results show voters are disenchanted with Democratic policies.

"Obama can't take credit for the economy. Republicans should take credit for the economy," Timken said on a conference call with reporters. "As I said, the Democrats want to tout their economic policies, but I think you see that overwhelmingly in 2016, voters in Ohio rejected those policies. They knew that they weren't working for them."

Jon Husted, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, said during the same call DeWine's campaign would gladly welcome Trump back to the state to campaign with them through general election.