Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump isn't in a great place to win a second term in 2020.

And yet and yet and yet, there's this: 71% of people in a new CNN-SSRS national poll think the economy is either "somewhat good" (45%) or "very good (26%). That's the highest rating for the economy in a CNN poll since February 2001. Which is a looooong time.

It's not only that people believe the economy is strong, either. It's that they give Trump credit for it. A majority (51%) in the CNN-SSRS poll approve of the job Trump is doing with the economy, while 42% disapprove. (It's the only issue -- out of the five asked about -- where more people approve than disapprove of how Trump is doing; Trump's overall approval rating in the poll is 42%.)

That economic message could well be Trump's secret sauce come 2020. In strong economies -- or economies perceived as strong -- voters tend to reward the incumbent president, just as they punish the president when the economy is faltering. Trump could well run on this basic argument: You may not like me or my style of politics. But look at the results! Is now really the time to change presidents?