Perry Shrugs Off New Hampshire, Ready for South Carolina

With 1 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who is a distant sixth-place finisher in the Granite State, shrugged off the results on Tuesday night.

"Tonight's results in New Hampshire show the race for a 'conservative alternative' to Mitt Romney remains wide open, Perry insisted in a statement. I skipped New Hampshire and aimed my campaign right at conservative South Carolina, where we've been campaigning hard and receiving an enthusiastic welcome. I believe being the only nonestablishment outsider in the race, the proven fiscal and social conservative and proven job creator will win the day in South Carolina.

"South Carolina is the next stop, Perry added. I have a head start here, and it's friendly territory for a Texas governor and veteran with solid outsider credentials, the nation's best record of job creation, and solid fiscal, social and tea party conservatism."

Strong words for a candidate who, with 28 percent of the votes counted, has less than 400 votes in New Hampshire.