It's happened to Walker, Fiorina, and to an extent Rand Paul and Huckabee. It's no use peaking in August, September, October, November or even December. Start really peaking in January for Iowa and carry the momentum to the SEC primaries and beyond. This is a marathon, and like most marathons, the lead changes quite a few times before the final stretch. Lots of runners rush to the lead at the start of the race and run out of steam by the middle of the race.
Using Horse Racing as an example, it’s very rare to come across a Secretariat for a candidate. Ted’s strategy seems the best, hanging around 3rd, or 4th, and excelling across the finish line ahead of everyone at the last minute.