In Indonesia's presidential contest, most polls still give the lead to Joko Widodo, the Jakarta governor and relative political outsider. But momentum is now swinging toward former military general Prabowo Subianto, backed by a majority of the recently elected parliament and by Indonesia's unabashedly partisan media tycoons—including those broadcasting the World Cup all the way through the election on July 9. Mr. Subianto has also performed well in the first two live television debates, including this week's debate on economics and social prosperity.

The...