If you want to signal that both Biden and Trump are unacceptable, then you shouldn’t vote for Biden.
If you want this election to be perceived as a referendum on Trump where Trump is soundly rejected, then you should vote for Biden to run up the score and maximize how much Trump loses by.
While CA and OK are on the far end of the lock states, after 2016 I don’t believe in lock states anymore. Texas is quickly hurtling towards a purple state. Michigan and Pennsylvania has a strong 20+ year Blue voting history.
I just don’t believe in the concept and I think each vote has more significance to it than a lot of people. I think running up the score against a monster and showing just how widely he is disliked is a good thing.
Lastly, I think the “I’m not voting for anybody because I hate them both Foot Stamp” is childish and self important bullshit when we live in a world of a binary presidential system. Make your choice and pull the lever.
Lock states are absolutely a thing. You bring up Texas. If Texas is even close, it’s game over because of results in other states.
There is literally zero chance that Vermont (or California or Oklahoma or about three dozen other states) will be the tipping point. And if a message is to be sent, one that says that Biden sucks, but Trump sucks worse (which is effectively what a write-in for Bernie is) is more important to me than “running up the score”.
I’ll very clearly state that this is not the case for people in several states. If I lived in Wisconsin or North Carolina or Arizona, I have to act like my vote may literally decide the election and act accordingly.
I don’t think a write in vote for Bernie helps anyone. It pisses off the Party Loyalists and that’s not going to push them away from their Party Loyalty. Not that that can be stopped, but if I had my druthers I’d have people do just about anything other than vote Bernie as a protest. Write in vote for the Revolutionary Communist Party or something and make them wish you voted for Bernie.