They are all fine bikes, but the OP already has his or her eye on a good bike - why should he or she continue looking? Because of a few scratches on a bike that will be primarily used for commuting?

THANK YOU ALL. I went to the shop and talked to the mechanic for 30 minutes. He explained to me how the rockhopper was different from some of the other bikes mentioned in this thread. He really knew what he was talking about and agreed that this was a good bike and price point for me being an entry-level mountain biker that wanted to use it to commute as well. I looked it over again and all of the mechanical parts checked out. He ran through a test with me before I made the decision. Super excited! Thank you all for the input.

It seems that the OP has made a decision to buy the Specialized. It sounds like he/she is excited about the purchase and that is great. A good deal is only a good deal when both parties are happy. I hope that you enjoy the bike and enjoy riding. It truly is a great sport.