It was an extreme long shot, IMO. There was a ton of money for ads, with the usual distortions, and props 41 and 42 both would counter it, so 40 had to pass and 41 and 42 (advertised as "bad for Joe Lunchbucket") would have had to lose.

Never underestimate the power of money. Propositions in the past banned same-sex marriages (found unconstitutional) and gave us Proposition 13, the tax on people who buy and sell properties, which surprise! includes almost everyone but established factories, warehouses, farms, and wineries and so on.