To paraphrase the aspirational saying: If at first you aren't elected president, run, run again. For the likes of Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry, those words appear to be something of an article of faith. Yes, each has already tried and failed to become commander-in-chief, but the hope of adding that ultimate line on a political résumé still springs eternal. A quick glance at history shows that such hopes are not misplaced: One-quarter of U.S. presidents lost a prior White House bid before they ended up winning. 

Of course, losing is not always viewed as a prelude to winning, and that's especially true the closer one is to the race in question. Critics as diverse as conservative Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, and liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow seem intent on arguing the logical fallacy that one can, using the events of the past, predict what will happen in the future regarding the third prospective candidacy of Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. 

"Look, I like Governor Romney, I like him personally, I think he is a good person, I think he was a great businessman, but you know that's yesterday's news," Paul said during a radio interview on Tuesday. "I don't really think that there is a third time out there."