“I think he’s just like all of us: He’s made of flesh and bone, and he’s temptable,” said the Rev. John Killian, a former president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. “I believe it was the devil, and I believe the devil knew he was bagging big game.”
Mr. Bentley’s public demise, Mr. Killian said, held lessons.
“There is nothing Governor Bentley’s done that any of us couldn’t do if we’re not on guard,” he said. “People always saw him as a godly man. They’re disappointed, yes, but honest people need to realize we’re all susceptible.”
Some evangelical voters, who are part of one of Alabama’s most powerful voting blocs, have already begun considering whether they should change how they scrutinize candidates after a governor they regard as a bitter letdown.
