High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (DNC) was given by then Illinois State Senator, United States Senate candidate (and elected Senator), and future President Barack Obama on the night of Tuesday, July 27, 2004. A relatively unknown politician on the national stage beforehand, the speech instantly helped Obama become one of the most well known politicians in the United States and led to talk about a future run for the presidency, despite the fact that he had not yet been elected to the United States Senate.