As the first baby boomer president , Clinton was the first chief executive since Calvin Coolidge who was not alive during World War II . Authors Martin Walker and Bob Woodward stated that Clinton 's innovative use of sound bite-ready dialogue , personal charisma , and public perception-oriented campaigning were a major factor in his high public approval ratings . When Clinton played the saxophone on '' The Arsenio Hall Show '' , he was described by some religious conservatives as " the MTV president " . Opponents sometimes referred to him as " Slick Willie " , a nickname which was first applied to him in 1980 by '' Pine Bluff Commercial '' journalist Paul Greenberg ; Greenberg believed that Clinton was abandoning the progressive policies of previous Arkansas Governors such as Winthrop Rockefeller , Dale Bumpers and David Pryor . The claim " Slick Willie " would last throughout his presidency . Standing at a height of ( 1.88 m ) , Clinton is tied with five others as the fifth-tallest president in the nation 's history . His folksy manner led him to be nicknamed Bubba , especially in the South . Since 2000 , he has frequently been referred to as " The Big Dog " or " Big Dog " . His prominent role in campaigning for President Obama during the 2012 presidential election and his widely publicized speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention , where he officially nominated Obama and criticized Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Republican policies in detail , earned him the nickname " Explainer-in-Chief "
2012 Democratic National Convention
2012 Democratic National Convention
Bill Clinton