The left’s reaction to Sessions back then was that he was a “racist” sort of “ultra”-conservative, whereas his public persona seemed like the kind of pro-Constitutional conservative that aligned with what we wanted. So yes, he would have looked like a very good pick on the surface.
Well only God truly knows what lies in men’s hearts.
Then there’s the possibility of being compromised by something done in the past (when it comes to senators, I’d imagine that’s a little too frequent).