Editing William Lyon Mackenzie King (section)

=== 1919 leadership election ===
The Liberal Party was deeply divided by Quebec's opposition to conscription and the agrarian revolt in Ontario and the Prairies. Levin argues that when King returned to politics in 1919, he was a rusty outsider with a weak base facing a nation bitterly split by language, regionalism and class. He outmaneuvered more senior competitors by embracing Laurier's legacy, championing labour interests, calling for welfare reform, and offering solid opposition to the Conservative rivals.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levine |first=Allan |date=2011 |title=King: William Lyon Mackenzie King, A Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny |url={{google books|EcrpcDlKTbEC|plainurl=yes}} |location=Vancouver |publisher=Douglas & MacIntyre |isbn=978-1-77100-068-0 |chapter=Ch. 4}}</ref> When Laurier died in 1919, King was elected leader in the first [[1919 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|Liberal leadership convention]], defeating his three rivals on the fourth ballot. He won thanks to the support of the Quebec bloc, organized by [[Ernest Lapointe]] (1876–1941), later King's long-time lieutenant in Quebec. King could not speak French, but in election after election for the next 20 years (save for 1930), Lapointe produced the critical seats to give the Liberals control of the Commons. When campaigning in Quebec, King portrayed Lapointe as co-prime minister.<ref name=Betcherman>{{cite book |last=Betcherman |first=Lita-Rose |date=2002 |title=Ernest Lapointe: Mackenzie King's Great Quebec Lieutenant |publisher=University of Toronto Press |page=175 |isbn=978-0-8020-3575-2}}</ref>
[[File:King1919HeadShot.jpg|150px|thumb|King, 1919]]