Or all the standard benefits about commuting with a road bike apply.

Depends on your POV.

Also, a sloping top tube doesn't make a bike any more or less "twitchy". That's a function of geometry, primarily head tube angle and fork rake. My most stable bike is a compact frame. My twitchiest one has a traditional level top tube.

If I could choose only between these two bikes, I'd go with the Galaxy. It has rack mounts, something I find essential in a commuting bike.

I also see the 8-speed drivetrain as a benefit. I'm finding the 8-speed wears longer and replacement parts are cheaper. If you're looking at $500 bikes, then I have to figure running costs down the road are also important to you.

I own 8, 9 and 10-speed bikes. I run 12-23 cassettes on all three and find very little difference in day-to-day riding. It adds up quick when it comes to chains. I get roughly 1000 more miles out of an 8-speed chain compared to a 10-speed, and the 8-speed chains are about a third of the price. 9-speed is somewhere between the two on both cost and durability. Eight-speed cassettes too are about a third of the price of 10-speed, with 9-speed falling in the middle.