That is my point, Bale hasn't been 'outshone' in a negative way, he is performing his role in the film. It's only the average movie-goer who brings up the 'outshone' and 'overshadowed' arguments in films to bring down an actor, when usually the reason for it is obvious and it isn't a negative thing, if you understand anything about the fundamentals of writing characters to fit into a story.
Just like Ledger was performing his role in The Dark Knight and the other actors were the counterpoint, it isn't a competition to see who can be the most entertaining on the screen, a cast of characters requires balance (I know you know this, I'm just thinking out loud). In The Fighter, Wahlberg is getting some hate because the other characters are over the top and he is very dull and normal, but without his character the film wouldn't work.
I think Bale gets some unwarranted heat from general movie-goers because he is one of the few method actors who has made it as an A-Lister. He isn't a movie star, you don't go to a movie to see him be his charming self, like George Clooney or Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt (Pitt at least tries to mix it up a bit). He is an actor, not an entertainer, his primary goal is to service the film, not entertain the audience and people are confused when a big star does that.
The over-the-top portrayal of Batman as a beast, with the growling voice was Nolan's decision. It's right there in the screenplay. I'm pretty sure they even edited Bale's voice in The Dark Knight in post production to make it more over the top (I have no evidence, but I remember reading it in an interview with Nolan, and fans always bring it up). As a reader of the comics, I think it's the most accurate portrayal of Batman by far (Nolan nailed the essence of the Joker too).
p.s. My 'finally' comment in the first post was a little bit of a bait, I can argue about topics like this for hours. While I believe Bale has had several performances worthy of award recognition, The Fighter is the first time he has actually been in contention, because all of the others either weren't released in the awards season (which is crucial, it's all about buzz) or the subject matter was too out there (American Psycho).
