I’m actually OK with Barry not being selected again this year. As much as I want him to be selected, I wouldn’t want it to be seen as being tied to the current Administration, even though the President & First Lady aren’t involved in choosing the Honorees, & the current First Couple (at least he not being a lover of the arts) hasn’t participated in any of the Honors ceremonies since being inaugurated.
I’d prefer a less antagonistic Administration than the current 1, which is especially antagonistic to those who aren’t in the same “mold” as the President: rich WASPs in the Top 1% of the financial world/population, & a friendlier Administration to the LGBTQ Community, be in office when the selection committee finally decides to honor Barry this way.
Interesting bit of trivia (at least I think it’s correct): David Rubenstein, Chairman of the Kennedy Center (who was quoted at least once in the linked article) also is the financial backer of the Panda House, where Tian Tian & Mei Xiang, the pair of breeding pandas imported years ago from China, & Bei Bei, their third, & (so far) youngest, cub overall, & second male cub, live at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC.