that's what I said, Ned never hated Homer and always give in to him. But conflict? no, I wouldn't call it conflict like you can say about other other character who does have conflict. If anything their relationship seems like a benefit relationship.
But why would you take interrelationship, and facts like it looks like an asymmetric relationship into so much consideration? especially taken the fact that it is cartoon? a little bit of those is OK, because most people can stereotype, and they can see this kind of people will like these kind of people and so forth. but even in here we know that conflictor gets along well in real life and not as "conflict". so would you think the producer knows?