If the conservatives didn't turn out, the politicians will cater to the people who actually vote. They didn't turn out to "teach the governor a lesson" as some here on this forum pronounced why they wouldn't turn out to support such things as parental notification for kids under 12 to have an abortion. Now it is the California conservatives' turn to "learn a lesson." You made your bed, now lie in it.
why they wouldn't turn out to support such things as parental notification for kids under 12 to have an abortion. Apparently they (conservatives) did turn out and did support Prop 73 and Prop 75 but conservatives make up only about 15% of California's electorate.
Both measures lost by narrow margins, not on their merits, but because an extremely unpopular governor got involved. Had that governor ignored these two measures they probably would have passed by narrow margins even in the face of considerable, organized opposition.