Why would Kavanaugh lie under oath?

We hear so much about “why would Ford make this up she has nothing to gain reeeeeee”, but the reality is Kavanaugh has everything to lose and potentially nothing to gain by going on record.

Lying under oath would cost him his federal judgeship. If they held a vote and he wasn’t approved, he would return to the federal bench, a very cushy job in its own right. A guilty, but smart, man would have withdrawn if this were true and not risk his remaining career and pension.