When Baltar was talking to the 6 on the Basestar, he said something like:
“I didn’t escape because of fear, at least not this time. I was trying to escape them. The fans. You see I have a following on Galactica, sorta like a fan base. I wanted to escape their endless failed attempts to make me feel better… No, I have to go back, I have a responsibility to them.”
I felt as if it’s RDM speaking to the fans through Baltar… Anyone else felt that way?
Yep… he’s also done it with Cottle smoking around Tigh/Six’s baby in Disquiet.
I don’t remember where/when I heard it, but Ron Moore has said he sees himself as a blend of Baltar and Lee.
is that why at some point he made Baltar sport the same long hair and beard look?
No doubt.
He’s also said that Baltar represnts the viewpoint of the audience.
Since we’ve never been on a Battlestar before, it’s an alien place to us, just like it is to Baltar.
Yes, I’m sure that RDM visions himself as having Baltar’s Head on Lee’s body…
Wow…that’s kind of…scary? It explains a lot of creative choices, though, but doesn’t encourage me so much about the future.
Why? I’ve always considered Baltar to be the most human character in the whole show. He occassionally does noble things, but often out of shear luck or downright self-interest. He would like to be a better person, but often takes two steps back for every step forward. I know I would like to think that, in a crisis, I’d act like Lee or Tyrol or one of the other more noble characters, but I’d probably pull a Baltar and run for my life watching out for number one (myself, not Cavil) the whole time.
It’s scary because I’m not fond of the Baltar and Lee storylines, and I also don’t particularly like the themes and elements involved with those characters; if RDM identifies with them, I’m assuming he put a lot of what he thinks is important into their storylines. And I really don’t want BSG to go down that line… I know, selfish of me, but I really want to love these last episodes and that comment scares me a little.
If I was on BSG? I’d be Hot Dog, at best, or Racetrack before she went loopy. Mostly loyal, but not important.
i bet that’s Starbucks fancy as well 
RDM has repeatedly said that he considers Baltar to be the most human character in the series, so I think you’re on to something there. I also agree that he was speaking to us through Baltar’s speech on the base ship. I don’t think that RDM writes himself so fully into the characters on his show, though. For one thing, he oversees the writing and has his pen in every script, but other writers on the team also assert major influences. It would be hard for him to force that much direction. Secondly, all the characters are too real and multidimensional for any one or two of them to be vanity projects. There’s too much honesty there. Sure, RDM likely identifies strongly with a couple of them, but I don’t see himself really being the Mary Sue type.
Starbuck’s secret fantasy is me. There’s really no doubt about it. If not me, then Lee and Anders both at once comes in a close second.