I agree! But doesn't your reference to "the road bike guys" bespeak a certain kind of tribalism?. I don't want to speak for anyone but myself; I'm a cyclist, but I don't see myself as a member of a 'cyclist tribe.'
Let's not forget that the question posed was "If you could afford an e-bike, would it be your "go to" commuter?" Well, I can. And it would not. But it always comes down to this: if things were different, things would be different. If I had been born with a different body, or if I lived in a hilly area, or [insert whatever hypothetical situation you like] then perhaps an ebike would be just the thing. If there are people to whom an ebike is a life-changing improvement, I'm entirely in favor. I can approve of them without being one of them. And while I do indeed approve of them, I'm under no delusion that they need my approval.
Well I don't identify them as road bike guys in any way to be critical, i simply identify them as more fitness oriented, perhaps more serious about this sport, and thus more able to cope with the steep hills around here. More so than a casual biker try to haul home.two well packed panniers over the hills and through the woods before anything spoils.