Could a TV presenter snatch Brazil’s 2018 election?

If you’re following the Brazilian media, you’ve probably read that the polarization between former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Congressman Jair Bolsonaro appears to be consolidated. Polls show that Lula is the preferred candidate for one-third of Brazilian voters, while Bolsonaro’s voting intentions are approaching 20 percent. And since no one else has come into the spotlight, the election will probably come down to a decision between the two.

But there’s more than meets the eye.

Murmurs of a candidacy by TV presenter Luciano Huck have been rattling around for months, and he has the support of former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, his personal friend. Right now, without a single public effort to boost his name, the polls put Huck at between 5 and 8 percent of voting intentions – the same as São Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin.

Famous nationwide for a TV program that revolves heavily around helping the disenfranchised, Huck could cater to the part of the Brazilian public who believe that the state should fulfill a role as a “provider.” However, Huck is also pleasing to the business class because of his market-friendly views. Huck is,...