Former GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Former Alaska Gov. and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says Republicans need to do a better job of explaining what's at stake in the upcoming presidential election:



"We're not explaining to the rest of America, who thinks that they're going to get a bunch of free stuff from Obama, that you have a choice. You either get free stuff or you get freedom. You cannot have both, and you need to make a choice.



"And if we could explain and get that message through to people that there is no such thing as a free lunch -- and that we are an insolvent nation when you consider us being $16 trillion in debt, we're broke. We can't keep continuing down this path."





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Palin told Fox News's Bill O'Reilly Tuesday that many "common-sense, fiscally conservative, independent Americans" are thinking, "Come on Republicans."



If the party can't light a fire under its base -- "and get them convinced that Barack Obama's lack of a plan to get us out of these economically woeful times -- if you can't get your message through that filter of the media, then we're in a world of hurt."



Palin, who did not attend the republican National Convention, said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney should be more aggressive in attacking Obama's record. "Yes, he needs to be severely aggressive in his-- in his articulation," she told O'Reilly.



"what they have to do is, they have to lay out the choice for the American public. They have to tell us, are you for empowering the individual or are you for this nonsense of Barack Obama's of growing this dysfunctional debt-ridden, $16 trillion-in-debt, this government -- which one do you want, people?"