Any clear thinking person with a good education in European history and culture would have (and in some cases did) recognized what Hitler was very early on. The problem is, in the modern world, such a recognition is extremely uncomfortable. It forces one to face the fact that whatever current utopian scheme that flies in the face of human nature is going to fail and that some sort of extreme action is pending. One can either, at that point, face the facts and take a smaller extreme action sooner (as *could have* France and the UK, back in, say, 1937 or so) or, one can kick the can down the road and pretend that the monster has not risen out of the swamp. At its most psychotic level, indeed, people do as you have noted try to turn the monster into a "Man of the Year" or some sort of mega wonk who makes the trains run on time. But to the truly observant person, a monster is a monster. If it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it sure ain't a chicken.
Not if but when the next Hitler (or set of them?) pops out of the woodwork, as with the past, the truly observant will perceive it. But will the truly observant have the clout to drive the necessary extreme action? I am pessimistic about this and say "probably not."
Another problem is: how numerous are "clear thinking person[s] with a good education in European history and culture"?
"Another Hitler" will come from the most unexpected direction. Maybe from the politically correct left? Maybe from the conservative democratic side? Or the most likely in the "moderate" center!
In 1917 there was slogan in Russia - "there is no enemy on the left" ie you need to fear the right, but the left is safe and you can go as far as you want. We know how it ended.
Then after the horror of collectivization and Gulag conservatives started to think that "there is no enemy on the RIGHT". And that led us to 1933 and 1939.
No there is no enemy in the center and not in the West.