Even before Barack Obama was elected president Tuesday, he had already changed one life - right here in San Francisco.

Seventeen-year-old James Kessler, a junior at Stuart Hall High School, is battling a rare and deadly sarcoma form of cancer.

He had only one wish: to meet Obama in Chicago on election night.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted The Chronicle, which forwarded James' request to the Obama campaign. Not only did campaign officials say "yes" - they did him one better. They phoned James' mom on Friday to suggest that her son immediately catch a plane to Henderson, Nev., where Obama was speaking the next day at a local high school.

After the speech, James was invited inside a portable classroom for a private chat with Obama.

"Unbelievable," said Jean Kessler, who tells us that Obama spoke to her son as if there were nothing else going on - talking about their families, James' hopes for attending college and more.

Finally, before posing with James and his mom for pictures, Obama reminded the teen "to dream big."

"And if this goes as we hope," Obama added, "we need to get you to Washington to my inaugural."

Then, for James, it was off to Chicago, where he was given a prime spot near the likes of former President Jimmy Carter and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

"It was all I had hoped for," James told his tearful mom.

To the wire: The fight over same-sex marriage went right down to the wire - with each side taking in close to $1 million in the last weekend of the campaign for one final media blitz.

Together, the campaigns both for and against the gay marriage ban collected and spent upward of $70 million.

"It was probably the biggest campaign in the country outside of the presidential race," said Yes on 8 head Frank Schubert.

And one of the most expensive.

But unlike other big-ticket ballot fights over energy, insurance rates or prescription drug sales - where giant corporate interests cut multimillion-dollar checks - the marriage fight was largely financed through individual donors.

"There were so many names on our first report that it crashed the secretary of state's computer," Schubert said.

It is estimated that 70,000 people cut checks to support the ban - compared with about 100,000 who gave to fight it.

"We've never seen anything like it," said No on 8's Jeff Kors.

Until next time.

Too hot: San Francisco's KSFO radio bills itself as the home of "Hot Talk" - but it was sister station KGO that may find itself on the hot seat after liberal gay gab host Charles "Karel" Bouley went off with an expletive-charged rant against Joe the Plumber on Saturday night.

The station had just gone to ABC network headline updates - including electioneering sound bites from Barack Obama and John McCain.

When the news referenced Joe the Plumber, Karel - apparently not knowing that his mike was still on - went into an obscenity-laced tirade, culminating with "I want mother-ing Joe the Plumber dead!"

Karel's tirade was captured by bloggers and has been making the rounds on the Internet ever since.

We called KGO for comment and hoped to get in touch with Karel as well.

They have yet to call back.

Lunch crowd: The spirit of Democratic dynamo lawyer Bob McCarthy was alive and well Tuesday as about 250 past, present and future politicos - including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein - packed San Francisco's California Culinary Academy for the traditional election day luncheon hosted by former police commissioner and restaurateur Angelo Quaranta.

"I have not seen Dianne so engaged in years," said former San Francisco mayor and Chronicle columnist Willie Brown. "She was really working the room. Getting her picture taken with everyone and talking about all the state measures she had been working on."

Feinstein also made a big point of introducing East Bay Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher as her "very good friend" - leading some to speculate that if Feinstein runs for governor in 2010, Tauscher would be on the short list to replace her in the U.S. Senate.

Speaking of the governor's race, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom- who is openly exploring a run for the state's top office - was a no-show. He opted, instead, to do a last-minute, applause-filled No on 8 walk along Polk Street.

Attorney General Jerry Brown, who is also running for governor, did show at the party - but stuck to the back of the room, letting Dianne have the day.

And finally: U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxerhad hoped to have her own private party Tuesday night at the Beverly Hilton - away from the commotion over at the Century Plaza, where the Obama campaign and state Democratic Party were holding court.

Alas - just 24 hours before the party was to start - the hotel alerted Boxer's folks that another party had been booked at the opposite end of the hall. Boxer's gala went on, but so much for privacy.

The other party's host? None other than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - the man oft-mentioned as taking on Boxer for her Senate seat in two years.

EXTRA! Catch our Web page at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.