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Busy Day In South Carolina Ahead Of GOP Debate

CHARLESTON, SC (CBS) - South Carolina promises fast paced politics, and the state delivered Thursday.

Rick Perry dropped out, saying he needs to put the party first and work to get a conservative in the White House.

The conservative he now supports, Newt Gingrich, is enjoying a bit of a surge in South Carolina.

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports from South Carolina

An American Research Group poll shows he is one point ahead of Romney at 33 to Romney's 32 percent.

But ABC News will run an interview with Gingrich's ex-wife, which could hurt him. In it, she says he asked for an open marriage, so he could be with his current wife Callista.

While Newt's dealing with this, Mitt Romney is getting the news that he didn't actually win Iowa. Final results show Rick Santorum won by 34 votes. Romney called Santorum to congratulate him on the results today.

South Carolina Republicans tell WBZ's Karen Anderson that Romney's last debate hurt him with voters, because of the uncomfortable way he dealt with the tax questions.

They felt Gingrich did well, and that's why a lot of people are waiting to see what happens at the debate.

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