actually, i expect warren to come out swinging against sanders, and for it to catch sanders completely off guard. even if she's mostly benefiting from being the default white woman in the race, it seems clear to me that warren is fundamentally running against sanders, more than anything else. that is her task here, her raison d'etre: to defeat bernie sanders. she is not interested in holding back. at all.

but, i think he should feign surprise, even if he's expecting it.

see, she can benefit rather substantially by taking him down, but he can't win by bludgeoning her. it's just the gender dynamic of the situation, relative to the electorate. something as simple as a few vacuous, stupid comments about him being old and white will likely give her a small bump - albeit mostly at the expense of harris, who is her primary opponent at this stage. but, anything bernie says will be ripped apart for misogyny, however unfairly. this is not a reflection of gender equality, it is a reflection of a continuing system of patriarchy where women are still seen as the weaker sex, and men continue to be judged on their gallantry. but, this is the truth of it - warren benefits by attacking bernie, but bernie loses by attacking warren.

the best thing bernie can do is take the hits, and exaggerate the hurt. and, i suspect this isn't disingenuous, either. this may not help him with female identity voters, but it could potentially make her seem like a turncoat, a traitor, a sell-out to the left-of-the-party lane that bernie should be able to beat her soundly in.

if they get into a shouting match, he's digging his own grave.