Mustrum_Ridcully
Hero
I disagree. Even if you are a non-optimizer playing in a game with an optimizer, that doesn't mean that the optimizer will get more spotlight time, especially since for the most part even if you spend time tweaking your character to perfection, the gains are usually pretty modest (save for rule abuse characters like Pun-Pun). Further, the non-optimizer can easily make up for his mechanical deficiency with (for example) better non-mechanical elements like character background (if that's what the player likes to do). In the end, the DM you play for is far more critical for determining who gets the spotlight than how the other PCs design their characters.
But there are no guarentees either way. Just because someone spends 2 days to optimize his character doesn't mean he comes up with a similar genius background as you.
But one thing is sure - if stuff requires mechanical resolution, the optimizer will come off better. And in many cases, that's where effective spot light is decided, particularly in combat (or in other way "mechanics") heavy games.