Shelby Bonnie has thrown his hat into the ring.

Mr. Bonnie is not running for office, but the former CNET chief executive has launched a web site that will be seeking a seat at the American political table in the run-up to the 2008 elections and beyond.

In the words of Mr. Bonnie, the new nonpartisan site seeks to “connect the dots” within politics, linking politicians to issues, advocacy groups, advisors, and companies.

Mr. Bonnie and his team of four other former CNET executives—Ethan Lance, Mike Tatum, Dave Snider, and Andy McCurdy—began the project in June from a cramped office in Sausalito, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

In Hollywood parlance, the site might be described as Wikipedia meets YouTube meets the Federal Election Commission database. As with other wikis, Political Base relies on users to write and edit articles on politicians and the issues.

For instance, a page on Hillary Clinton, the New York senator and presidential candidate, chronicles her life as First Lady, first in Arkansas and then Washington. It tallies the funds she has raised in her 2008 presidential campaign, listing her “rich and famous” backers such as Tobey (Spiderman) Maguire, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch. The site also offers a selection of videos, including a YouTube Big Brother spoof based on an old Apple Computer commercial in which the reverie for Big Brother (Hillary) is interrupted by a hammer-throwing rebel.

Mr. Bonnie has provided most of the capital so far for the startup, whose business plan calls for advertising to provide financial support once an audience has been established.

Though Mr. Bonnie has contributed to the campaigns of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards, according to his site, he said Political Base is strictly nonpartisan.

“We’re a pretty diverse group,” Mr. Bonnie said of the co-founders, describing them as “libertarians, Republicans and Democrats.”

Further, Mr. Bonnie said his experience managing the editorial organization at CNET will ensure that the site remains balanced.

“We’re not trying to have a voice in support of one ideology,” he said.

On the web page explaining the genesis of Political Base, the “founding fathers” portray some famous politicians of America’s past, with Mr. Bonnie as Abraham Lincoln and the others as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Ulysses Grant, and Robert E. Lee.

Mr. Bonnie resigned as chairman and chief executive of CNET in October 2006 after an internal investigation found he bore partial responsibility for backdating options at the company from 1996 through 2003. In September, the Securities and Exchange Commission said it had dropped its investigation of the company and would not pursue sanctions.

Political content has helped propel TV shows such as Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report,” but “George,” a glossy political magazine launched by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. failed to win a following.

Still, Mr. Bonnie sees politics as “one of the three most passionate areas on the Web,” along with sports and technology. Further, political advertising is poised to hit its stride online.

“It’s a category where an enormous amount of money is spent,” he said.

Though that advertising may peak in a presidential election year like 2008, he said, the site also will be covering state and local elections, major issues and ultimately legislation, which also can provide an audience for off-year advertising messages.