If you watch and listen carefully, there are significant differences between Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren. Warren is to the left of Clinton, of course, but the more important differences revolve around their respective backgrounds. Clinton spent most of her life in politics; as a result, she developed plenty of scar tissue and generated connections, particularly in the African-American community, that were indispensable to her in her campaigns. Warren, on the other hand, is a professor, and a wonk. She came late to politics, and it shows.
On balance, their similarities probably outweigh the differences. Both are white middle-aged women with a strong interest in policy and limited natural political gifts. Both are very bright, and both are said to be perfectly personable if you get to know them. Neither is a great speaker. Neither is very good at making strong personal connections on short notice.
Could Warren beat Trump? Under the right circumstances, yes. However, it doesn’t bode well for her that the MSM are running stories about her weaknesses as a politician that sound very much like the narrative about Clinton. She might be a good president, but a below average nominee.