Heh. Actually, he was dumbfounded for several seconds, just long enough for my liberal buddy to pull back and retract what he said (he’s liberal, not stupid, after all :D).
I think it greatly depends on what you consider name calling. If it’s of the “You’re a stupid blubbering idiot”, I think both sides are equally guilty. On the other hand, there is a contingent of conservatives that wear the “Non-PC” label like a badge of honour, and this group is obviously more likely to use derogatory terms than their PC counterparts.
As for the conservative=racist bunk, well it’s bunk. I do think that the traditional southern variety of racist, especially an open racist, is more likely to self-identify as conservative, but I don’t think racism is part of the platform. It’s an overlap in ideals, not a common trait.
I believe most racism today is much more hidden, even though it’s still prevalent, thus allowing a self-identifying liberal to be a closet racist, without anyone calling them on it. To be honest, I’m not sure if I prefer the closet racists over the sheet wearing KKK types. While they may support policies that help minorities in general, if they’re doing it out of pity for their inferiors, I’m not sure the help is wanted. With the open racists, at least you know who the enemy is.