Can anyone share insight as to why the "Boulder Progressives" are so messed up?

Reading about the lawsuit against Budd (over nasty political tricks and smears that, regardless of the issues of constitutionality, are pretty revolting).

And then that flyer that Nicole Speer sent around smearing Yates as a January-6th Insurrectionist (yes, I know it was the "Working Families Party", but we all know it was Speer.) That was just... wrong. Not that Yates doesn't have his issues... He does, and they make him vulnerable. But supporting a Trumpist overthrow of the government cannot be said by any rational person to be one of Yates' issues. .

And they brigade the hell out of this sub too, manipulating votes and trying to use buzzwords/personal attacks to stir up outrage with attacks on demonized Others. (NIMBYs, Karens, etc.)

In search of enlightenment, I went to my wife's friends in Frasier Meadows (as I do every election). I think of them as the Boulder Biddies--they're all looong-time progressives who've been in Boulder for decades, supporting every progressive cause you can think of. (though they were really split on the south Boulder expansion.) Strangely, they were not supportive of the Boulder Progressives... one went so far as to call Speer a "fake progressive" (which, coming from this lefty, was saying something). But the Boulder Biddies did not know Speer personally... she's too new in town. So this was just by reputation (and the aforementioned smear campaign, which did not go over well.)

In short, the "Boulder Progressives" behave a lot more like Republicans, politically, then like the optimistic, cheery, pacifist morally-upright Boulderite progressives that we know and love and/or are annoyed by.

I'm not that clued-in on recent Boulder local political personalities (i.e. last 5-ish years)

Who knows any of them personally, and is willing to comment on them (online, anonymously) to shed some light on the subject for me?

Are they dysfunctional human beings? Or are they wannabe-Maoists with ideologically-determined ends justifying any and all tactics...? Or are they amateur politicos who don't understand Boulder's long time culture (or the boomerang effect of slander)? Or are they just desperate? Or is there something I'm missing. (because they sure don't behave like any progressives I know.)

This is an honest question--I'm not looking for a pile-on or a validation of my views. I'm actually looking for informed and illuminating comments, if anyone is willing.

Yes, this will get downvoted by the aforementioned brigade. (nice to see you and your alt accounts, Mr. Beefy). But I'm hoping that a few real comments, perspectives, and/or observations might sneak in under the wire.