Yum does not install package without providing reason

I am attempting to install an rpm built with the following third party 
spec file:

https://github.com/imeyer/ruby-1.9.3-rpm/blob/master/ruby19.spec

Yum installation returns without installing the rpm, without providing a 
reason why, and returning success (exit code = 0).  By invoking "rpm 
-ivh ..." the rpm installs successfully.  I tracked the error down to 
the following commit:

http://yum.baseurl.org/gitweb?p=yum.git;a=commit;h=329820fea5dea0a29d7ddf00265e0d430528e4d0

Versions of yum prior to this commit install the file successfully.  It 
appears to yum the rpm is obsoleting itself.  Returning to the spec 
file, we find:

...
Provides: ruby(abi) = 1.9
Obsoletes: ruby
...

It seems to me it was the authors intent to invalidate the previous 
version of Ruby shipped with Fedora, and provide this new version.  I am 
unaware of whether this is the proper way of accomplishing this, or if 
yum was correct in obsoleting the package.  I definitely believe a 
message should have been reported when the package was obsoleted, and 
I'm inclined to believe if rpm installed it and yum used to install it, 
yum should continue to do so, but I really have no dog in this race.

Thanks for all your hard work!

Robert