See my question here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3443917/posts?page=160#160
Is this campaign the first time that phrase has been used?
Other than when there wasn’t a front runner/someone didn’t have enough delegates.
“Before this campaign season, was a candidate, that had enough delegates to clinch the nomination, ever referred to as a “presumptive nominee”?”
The lexicon is evolving all the time, but if memory serves, this isn’t the first time that phrase has been used in a presidential election.
Don’t quote me, though. I’m not the most learned political student here.