South Carolina ? Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday shrugged off his 10th-place finish in the Iowa straw poll this past weekend, calling such contests meaningless.

The Arizona senator, starting a two-day swing through early voting South Carolina, skipped the Iowa straw poll along with Rudy Giuliani and all-but-declared candidate Fred Thompson.

Mitt Romney easily won the Republican-run contest, with Mike Huckabee a distant second and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback third.

McCain, who garnered 101 votes, said he was surprised to get that many.