Should the incumbents be quoted as the nominees?

The election is drawing near, and one thing we could notice in the Indonesian papers is this:

Both Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Jusuf Kalla (JK) are addressed as presidential nominees.

While the fact remains obvious that both of them are still holding office with the far more respectable positions as president and vice president, respectively.

If I’m not mistaken, last year the American press quoted Obama and McCain as Senator Obama and Senator McCain respectively, instead of “Presidential nominee Obama/McCain”.

If the press choose to speak in terms of elections, that I could understand.

What I could not understand is when the incumbents are somehow degraded to a lower position as nominees… Should they not actually be quoted by the media with their current office?