Beware Republicans (or pro-slavery/segregationist Democrats in the past) who pay lip service to states rights. That's usually a cover to do gross things in red states rather than a defense against overturning things states do with which they disagree.
Beware those who tell you to give 'em a chance. It's reasonable to hold a candidate responsible for campaign rhetoric as well as for the people he is nominating for high offices. These people have records. We know what they stand for and what they would like to do. We also have plenty of reasons to distrust these people, Trump chief among them. Republicans are, after all, talking about what they'd like to do with Medicare, for instance when Trump promised his supporters that wouldn't happen. We know these people. It's the same con as always.
Jeff Sessions, while failing to be confirmed back in the 80s, has been a senator for a long time and will likely be confirmed easily, I fear. We can only hope that Republicans, while they usually overreach, will assume that they don't have enough goodwill or political capital (mandate? don't make me laugh) to take away insurance from tens of millions, legal weed from millions more, voucherize Medicare, and privatize public schools all at once. I want to believe that cannabis isn't really on the list of priorities but there's no good reason to believe it and there's much to worry about besides.