Speaking as someone who typically uses Emacs as anything but an editor: Emacs is recognized as an editor because it was designed as an editor with macros (thus the name). Those who call Emacs an editor are rarely trying to diminish what it is. If anything, they call it an editor since that is the main entry point to using it and it is much less intimidating than emphasizing elisp.

If anything, the opposite is true: those who try to diminish Emacs point out the absurdity of referring to it as an editor. To them, what has been accomplished through elisp is more of an indicator of a lack of focus or of bloat than it is of Emacs versatility.