'It's on me': Rubio the Robot admits he was Republicans' biggest loser of the night thanks to debate disaster - while nemesis Christie weighs up quitting

He came into New Hampshire on a wave of Marcomentum. 

Unfortunately for Rubio last night it turned out to be propelling him in the wrong direction as he placed fifth in the New Hampshire polls after Trump, Kasich, Cruz and Bush.

And according to the Florida senator it was all his fault.

With just 10.4% of the vote with close to two thirds of the results counted Rubio, 44, addressed the 500 loyal supporters who had rallied in Manchester in hopes of a better result.

'Many people are disappointed. I'm disappointed. Our disappointment is not on you. It's on me.

'We did not do well on Saturday and so listen to this: That will never happen again.'

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'Disappointed': Marco Rubio admitted his debate performance had cost him votes in New Hampshire, as he fell beneath Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush into fifth place, having polled as high as second

 Responsibility: Rubio went out of his way to make clear that he knew he was to blame for the debate disaster costing him votes

Family: Marco Rubio attends his New Hampshire Primary closing rally along with his wife Jeanette and his four children, Amanda, Daniella, Anthony and Dominick.

It is the first time that the senator has acknowledged the impact of his blunder at Saturday's GOP debate that saw him dubbed Rubio the Robot when he repeated the same line over and over and over again.

The blows were inflicted by Chris Christie, the hard-charging New Jersey governor who saw an even worse performance tonight, coming in well below Rubio on 7.5%.

He announced that he was 'taking a deep breath' - a hint that his presidential run could very soon be over.

While the voters gave Christie no credit for pointing out how Rubio repeated the same lines over and over again, they did mark Rubio down severely.

Exit polls, reported by CNN, showed that half of Republican voters had made their minds up in the past few days, and two-thirds said recent debates had been important to their decisions.

The apparent beneficiaries were Ted Cruz, whose campaign had been bracing themselves for as low as fifth place, and Jeb Bush, who desperately needed not to be humiliated in New Hampshire to stay alive in the race. 

He goes on to South Carolina with some degree of momentum, while Cruz will be more at home in a race where the evangelical vote holds sway.

Until now Rubio had attempted to dismiss the robot debacle as a media creation of little significance to the voters. But tonight he shouldered the blame.

Speaking over the chants of 'Marco!' that rose in response as the crowd cheered their candidate he continued: 'It's not about this campaign. It's about this election – what's at stake.

'We have a president that's been doing tremendous damage to this country – trying to redefine the relationship between government and the people…undermining the constitution…the second amendment…civil liberties.'

Continuing his theme he told the crowd: 'He's gutting our military and betraying our allies. Are we going to keep doing this?'

Off to South Carolina: Rubio tried to stay upbeat as he said he would be fighting on for a nationwide victory and left the stage smiling

Well that went well: Marco Rubio's victory rally turned into a collection of glum faces as the reality of his fifth place became clear

Dogged by his gaffe: An unknown opposing campaign had a man dressed as a robot trailing the candidate all day

'No!' came the bullish response from supporters apparently unbowed by the night's defeat.

'If Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton win,' Rubio warned. 'All of the damage Barack Obama has done to America becomes permanent. That's why they must not win.

'If we don't win this election we may lose this country.'

Earlier the crowd had waited impatiently as they watched first Hillary Clinton then Bernie Sanders deliver their speeches to their supporters. Trump followed on and finally, with his triumphant address over, Rubio took to the stage in the Radisson Hotel, Manchester at 10.10pm.

Flanked by his wife, Jeanette and children Amanda, Daniella, Antony and Dominick, Rubio drew on a theme that has come to define his campaign as he said that if either of the Democratic candidates won: 'My children and your children will not inherit the greatest country in the world.'

He admitted: 'We did not wind up where we wanted to tonight. But that does not mean this is where we'll wind up.'

Rubio has made great play of his Cuban parents' humble life in America as a bartender and a maid in Vegas.

Nemesis: Chris Christie is to take 'a deep breath' and consider the next steps in his candidacy -a hint that he could be out within days

Something to smile about: Ted Cruz had been the major apparent beneficiary of the Rubio debacle

Regained some energy: Jeb Bush came ahead of Marco Rubio despite weeks behind him in the polls

Tonight in his defeat he said he was reminded of a troubled time in their lives when he was just seven years old and his father had been working as an apartment manager.

He lost his job and with it the family's home and was forced to seek work in a bar – something he had not done for 20 years.

'He could only find work as a bus boy,' Rubio said. 'This gentleman well into his fifties was carrying buckets of ice and cleaning glasses…but he was not prideful. He was willing to do whatever it took so that our family would be better.'

The lesson he took from the memory, according to Rubio, was that he too had to be willing to do whatever it takes to make America successful.

Because in spite of his loss, he said, he had faith that 'America will rediscover the principles that made her great.

'Americans in the end have always got it right.'

Presumably for Rubio, getting it right means casting a vote for him next time.

Attempting to leave New Hampshire on an upbeat note despite the poor showing in tonight's primary Rubio insisted: 'You will see us again because we're coming back in November.

'New England, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts we'll see you in a few weeks and South Carolina – we are on our way.'