I am going to get flamed to oblivion for this, but nonetheless:
You are not looking far enough in the past. The very textbook definition[0] of fascism (or to be precise - one of the basic definitions) is that it is a political movement that was directly linked with corporatism. Or in other words, a form of government where the major political power is wielded by powerful corporations and furthers primarily their interests.[1]
Quoting from [0]: "fascism, especially once in power, [attracts] support primarily from what in a classical sense is called the 'far right' or 'extreme right'." Authoritarianism and police state mentality are both drivers, but also the results of this mentality.
Considering how the politics in the western world, US included, have been going for at least the recent half a century... I am going to say that fascism didn't go away with the deaths of Hitler and Mussolini. It has been a dark undercurrent in the US politics (as well as UK and the Scandinavian countries, at least) all this time.
We have ALL been on the road back to fascism for decades. It didn't start with G.W. Bush in the US, or with Thatcher in the UK, or with True Finns in Finland, or with whatever the French populist party happens to be called this week. Each one of these is just a manifestation of a more generic right-wing, very much misandry-fuelled swing in public opinion.
US has been on its way to fascism for a long time. But you are not alone, your country has just been the most powerful and visible charioteer.
If you are willing to accept the link between corporatism and fascism, just think what Lawrence Lessig was not saying in his TED talk, "Country of Lesters".[2] (That's not the official title of the talk but the one it is easiest to find with.)
0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism
2a: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g
2b: http://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_t...