'Ali's speech upon the death of Abu Bakr (ra)

Once you say that then there is no debate left.

I dont know about 12ers in general, since I think that religion is between God and Man and the perception of God and all that is holy is unique to each individual, but ask any wise man and he will tell you that over zealousness and volatility are a dangerous combination.

The disagreement where certain 12ers go overboard is on the separation of church and state. In Prophet (SAW) we had a unity of command of religion and political leadership. Off the 4 caliphs that followed, only Ali could pass religious edicts without looking up to someone else.

Abu Bakr and Umer were big enough men to ask for that help most of the time. 12ers argue that the unity of command should have stayed and a single leader appointed by God could only maintain that unity. Ahl-e-sunnat disagree and believe that no such provision exist in Islam, though it was a norm that deputies to prophets (AS) were nominated by God as stated in Quran. There are many arguments and counterarguments but this is the fundamental difference. Rest are all fiqh issues and there are a lot of similarities and disagreements but nothing more pronounced then what exists within the various sects of Ahle-sunnat.