from al-islam:
The disagreement about the caliphate should not be a source of division
between the two schools. Muslims agree that the caliphate of Abu Bakr came
through election by a limited number of people and was a surprise for all
other companions. By limited number, I mean, the majority of the prominent
companions of prophet had no knowledge of this election. Ali, Ibn Abbas,
Uthman, Talha, Zubair, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas, Salman al-Farsi, Abu Dhar,
Ammar Ibn Yasir, Miqdad, Abdurrahman Ibn Owf were among those who were not
consulted nor even informed of. Even Umar confessed to the fact that the
election of Abu Bakr was without consultation of Muslims. (See sahih al-
Bukhari, Arabic-English, Tradition 8.817)
this is nothing but bullshit, u guys want evidence, here it is (translation)from the history of islam for BA: when prophet PBUH died, the ansar in madina got together and talking of succession after him PBUH,seeing that this might have caused a break up in islam, so he took umar,abu ubaida RT and took
them to the seat of the ansar. he then told them the poeple there that if we now start a fight over succession, then islam will break in two sects, and prophet PBUH will never forgive us in the hereafter. and he presented umar and abu ubaida for the chalipahthood. but umar RT said that no, abu bakr RT was the only person to have ever lead a jamaat during the life of the prophet PBUH, and thus he should be the one who rules after the death of prophet PBUH;
The Shi'a scholars say that a divinely appointed Imam is sinless and
Allah does not grant such position to the sinful. The Sunni scholars
(including Mu'tazilites) say that Imam can be sinful as he is
appointed by other than Allah. Even if he is tyrant and sunk in sins
(like in the case of Muawiyah and Yazid), the majority of the scholars from
the schools of Hanbali, Shafi'i, and Maliki discourage people to rise against
that Caliph. They think that they should be preserved although they disagree
with the evil actions.
from al-islam:
The Shia say that Imam must possess above all such qualities as knowledge,
bravery, justice, wisdom, piety, love of God etc. The Sunni scholars say it
is not necessary. A person inferior in these qualities may be elected in
preference to a person having all these qualities of superior degree.
if u believe this, then u are the biggest idiot in the world, for a imaam, you have to be superior in islamic knowledge and if u have knowledge of islam and fear of allah, then u will be all the stuff described above, so if this is what shias go by then what can i say... the site says it better than i can, that they are stupid.